


Meanwhile, back at Winterfell

by ratclanqueen



Series: Domestic House Stark [2]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Jon Snow and the Starks Are Not Related, Marriage Proposal, Multi, Ned Stark is a good dad, One Big Happy Family, Party, Private School, Rickon is a little shit, Theon Greyjoy is a Gift
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:26:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24628534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ratclanqueen/pseuds/ratclanqueen
Summary: A week in the life of those living at Winterfell. Its the second week back at Northern College and the Starks, their other halves and their friends just cannot keep out of trouble.There are detentions, stink bombs, fleeing the school campus and all while there's an engagement party to think about!Private/High school AU with happy Starks.(read the tags for pairings)
Relationships: Arya Stark/Gendry Waters, Catelyn Stark/Ned Stark, Jaime Lannister/Brienne of Tarth, Jon Snow & Arya Stark & Bran Stark & Rickon Stark & Robb Stark & Sansa Stark, Jon Snow/Sansa Stark, Renly Baratheon/Loras Tyrell, Robb Stark/Margaery Tyrell, Sansa Stark & Margaery Tyrell & Loras Tyrell, Theon Greyjoy/Dacey Mormont, hints of bran stark/meera reed
Series: Domestic House Stark [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1426582
Comments: 15
Kudos: 129





	1. Monday

**Monday**

Monday mornings were slow and laborious at the Stark home, known to all as Winterfell. The large country house was situated on several acres of land and the Starks took full advantage of that.

Just like every other morning, Catelyn Stark had been up since the crack of dawn and seemed to have finished all of her morning chores before any of her children had even thought about clambering down the stairs. She'd let the chickens out of their coop and thrown several old rugby balls around in the large, field-like garden for the dogs before going for a quick a swim in the heated pool.

Afterwards, she made breakfast and sat waiting for her hair to dry and smiling into her herbal tea as Ned meandered into the kitchen in his slippers and dressing gown. She watched as he automatically swiped up the empty cup from under the coffee machine, taking a sip only to remember he had forgotten to programme it.

Regardless of how many times Ned complained and swore to himself, he always forgot to switch the coffee machine on before going to bed on a Sunday night and Catelyn never reminded him. The noisy grind of the machine was the first thing the Stark children would hear that morning as it created a hum in tune with their alarms.

It was the second week back at school after a long, lazy summer holiday and the children were still clinging onto the final feelings of summer. It was Robb, Theon and Jon's final year and none of them were eager to be back at school.

The first child down the stairs was Sansa, like always, followed shortly by Bran, both still dressed in their pyjamas. The pair sat in their usual seats around the large kitchen island and help themselves to whatever was on offer. Usually, they would sit in comfortable, sleepy silence until Robb or Arya thundered down the stairs in their full school sports kits, moaning about oversleeping and needing a ride to their early morning practice.

And no matter how many time the same situation played out, as it did every Monday morning at Winterfell, Catelyn and Ned would tell them to ask their siblings.

This particular Monday morning, it was Arya who was groaning about being late. Robb had hitched a lift with one of the Karstarks who was on his rugby team and had already left.

"Mum!" Arya whined, dropping her hockey stick to the flagstone floor and crossing the kitchen to lean on her mother's side. "Muuuuuum," she said again, elongating the syllables and attempting to bat her eyelashes as Catelyn smirked.

Behind the pair, Jon and Theon ambled into the kitchen, ribbing each other over something unknown and settling down to breakfast.

"Ask your sister. I am leaving to meet with Mr Luwin to start organising the hospital fundraiser in twenty minutes," she told her youngest daughter after dropping a kiss to her hairline.

Arya's expression brightened. "Well, then you can drop me off on your way!"

Catelyn laughed as she put her mug in the sink. "I am going nowhere near your school Arya. Ask one of the boys. Or better yet, ask _your_ boy."

Sansa's phone began to ring and she shared a laugh with those around the table at Arya's thunderous expression. Only her mother could tease Arya about Gendry and not be on the receiving end of a punch or a curse. A stormy look was all Arya gave her as Catelyn kissed her children, blood and surrogate, on their foreheads and went to put her shoes on and leave.

Nymeria was under Arya's feet, pushing her wet nose into her mistress' hand to receive some attention and calm her down. Arya breathed deeply and began pestering Theon and Jon into taking her to her hockey practice.

Sansa swiped at her phone screen and answered the incoming call, filtering out the arguing with practised ease.

"Hello."

"Oh my god, you will never guess!" came the excited squeal of her brother's girlfriend and one of her best friends, Margaery Tyrell.

"Morning to you too," Sansa smiled, buttering another slice of toast. "Do I get any clues?"

"No! I'm too excited. So I just grabbed breakfast with my brother and his boyfriend, do you remember Renly? He graduated a few years above us. Total babe." Before Sansa could say anything, Margaery continued. "Robert Baratheon, Renly and Loras went with Jaime Lannister to a jewellery store yesterday on Main Street!"

Sansa munched on her toast. She did love Margaery but she wasn't following. Margaery, just like Bran, had an uncanny knack for knowing things and was so clued up about everything and everyone that it was hard to tell what was important information and what was just idle observations. "And?"

" _And_? What do you mean 'and'? Jamie's bought an engagement ring, Sans!"

Sansa dropped the toast and ran up the stairs to her room, leaving her brothers and Jon, who was arguing with Arya, in a confused state.

"Oh my god! Really!" she practically sung, already diving into her wardrobe to find her school uniform. "Are you coming here or are we meeting at school? I need details! How big is it? Has he thought about Brienne's taste? When is he gonna propose?" she asked, quickly putting the call onto loudspeaker so that she could change.

"I don't know! Loras... Lo, we're swinging by Winterfell, right?" Margaery said and Sansa assumed she was in the car with her twin. Margaery asked but the Tyrell twins were usually Sansa's ride to school.

"Yeah, duh, don't you recognise the street? We're just about to pull up at the gate Sans," Loras's voice suddenly said and Sansa nodded despite neither twin being able to see her.

She opened her bedroom door whilst tying her tie at the same time. "Somebody open the gate!" she yelled down and Bran made a non-commital noise as Arya opened the front door.

"Come on Jon! I'm going to be late!" she cried up and Sansa laughed as Jon came hurtling down the second staircase, half-dressed without his shoes or school blazer. He was going to kiss Sansa on the cheek but Arya shouted and he ran down the stairs, screaming back at her.

Sansa re-entered her room with a laugh and crossed to her window. She could see Arya and Jon getting into his car and the gate at the bottom of the long driveway opening to let Loras' car in. The two cars passed each other and then Loras was pulling into Jon's usual spot in front of the garage. The two siblings got out of the car and waved up at her and she motioned for them to come into the house.

"Sansa!" Loras called from the entryway as she ran a brush through her long hair and grabbed her backpack, sports kit and makeup bag. She threw them over the bannister into Loras' waiting arms and he left to put them in the boot of his car.

"Help yourself to breakfast!" Sansa called down, retreating to her room as Bran knocked on her bedroom door.

"You're my ride to school this week since Theon's injured and can't go to his swim meet so if you're going with them then I'm hitching a lift," he told her and she nodded.

"Fine. But you're telling them. Where's Rickon? He needs dropping off too. Theon may not have a club this year but Rickon's still got one."

Bran shrugged and left to get changed into his uniform.

Sansa scrambled about her room, looking for her other knee-high sock when Margaery entered with the black, patent leather shoes Sansa had left in the downstairs closet.

"Looking for these?" Margaery asked in greeting and Sansa smiled around the toothbrush in her mouth.

"Not yet but they were next on my list," she said, slightly muffled from the toothpaste but Margaery just laughed.

"I swear Winterfell is a madhouse on Mondays. I forgot over the summer how hectic they are."

Sansa rolled her eyes and finally found her other sock. "Tell me about it. No matter how many Mondays come and go, it's like we all collectively forget to set alarms or pack bags the night before. Did you see Rickon?"

Margaery shook her head, pointing to the ceiling and presumably the next floor where Rickon's and the older boys' rooms were. "Loras has gone to get him. Has your dad left for the office yet? His coffee flask is still on the island and I think Theon is starting his car. He's still in his sweats though."

Sansa sighed and reached for her phone. She sent a quick text to the family group chat, telling them all that Ned had forgotten his coffee and to be wary. Margaery laughed as the text lit up her phone.

"Sansa! Loras! Marg! It's 7:50!" Bran's voice echoed through the house. "Mathletes starts at 8:15!"

"Shit, we're going to be _so_ late," Margaery groaned, knowing it would take half an hour to drive to school.

* * *

Northern College was a co-education school from the ages of 4 up to 18 and offered both day and boarding options. The Starks lived close enough that they were day pupils but the Tyrells and a lot of their friends were boarders, living on-site in purposely designed boarding houses.

When Loras pulled up in front of his boarding house, Sansa could just make out Robb and the rugby team practising on the far pitches whilst their friends greeted them as the got out of the car. Bran had scarpered as soon as Loras had pulled to a stop and was already running towards the maths building.

"Morning!" someone shouted and the trio waved but continued towards the main school building. Already the three friends were discussing their weekend and Jaime Lannister's shopping excursion when they passed Gendry and Jon.

Jon had managed to finish getting dressed after he had all but pushed Arya out of the car as soon as they were near the astroturf where her hockey team were waiting for her. Gendry had met Jon in the car park and the two were slowly making their way towards the sixth form dorms and common room before pre-school activities ended and classes began.

"Where did you park your truck last night?" Jon asked and Gendry groaned, punching Jon in the upper arm.

"How did you know? We were so quiet!" Gendry grumbled. He had been sneaking in and out of Arya's room most nights for the past couple of weeks without anyone finding out. A big accomplishment for saying how many people lived at Winterfell and that Catelyn and Ned's room was on the same floor as Arya's. He let Gendry punch the code to the boarding house door and followed him inside.

"Because I was coming out of Sansa's room and saw you crawling on your belly in the hallway to the main bathroom," Jon replied with a laugh and a wicked smirk. "You know Arya has an en-suite right?"

"Yeah but her shower's broken."

"Boys!" a deep voice made the two swivel on their heels. "Where are the other idiots?" Northern College's lacrosse coach and head of the sixth form was sat behind his desk, his heels upon the wood and a smirk on his face.

"Robb's at rugby practise sir and Theon is running some errands for Mrs Stark," Jon replied and Gendry nodded. The boarding houses were set up like a normal house just with a large, semi-industrial kitchen, a living room and a dining room all on the first floor, along with Bronn's office, which was the first thing you walked past when entering. The two just stood in the corridor in front of his office door, letting those entering or exiting the house push past them with little complaint.

Coach Bronn ran his tongue over his teeth, glaring at the two for several moments before his serious expression broke into a broad grin. "Get in here and shut that door, don't want those pussy footballers hearing this," he laughed, ever coarse and lewd.

The two complied and each took a seat in front of the desk. Jon, Gendry, Robb and Theon were all on the lacrosse team as school rules meant that every student had to be in a sports team and an academic club. It just so happened that Coach Bronn, or just simply Bronn to his students, led the two boys in both.

"Heard the news? Lannister's proposing and your mother has offered to host this weekend," Bronn told them.

"Catelyn isn't my mother," they said in unison and Bronn laughed.

"Good job too, what with both of you fucking her daughters," he smirked, holding a hand up as the two began to argue. "Anyway, was just saying practise on Friday is cancelled."

Gendry was scowling, muttering his denial and innocence as Jon looked at the older man with dark eyes. "And?"

"No way to talk to your beloved coach is it, Snow? Tell the rest of the team and get to class," Bronn said, waving them away with a grin. "If you're both still pissed tonight I'll put Theon in goal for shooting practice. Deal?"

"Deal."

* * *

Arya had showered quickly after hockey and had sat in her first-period chemistry class, doodling on the back of her daily planner as she counted down the minutes to her next class. As soon as the bell had rung, she was off her stool and running through the hallway, eager to get to her design class as quickly as she could.

The walk to the Art and Design block was a long one as there was no direct route from the science labs but she walked with her friends Lommy Greenhands and a boy who'd been affectionately nicknamed Hot Pie since their first year. She was well-liked within her hockey team since she was the captain and scored the most but outside of that small group of girls and the two boys, Arya would usually be with her family or...

"Gendry!" she shouted as soon as she saw him leaning up against the building's bricks. "See you in English, yeah?" she said to the two boys, leaving them behind with a fond wave, knowing they wouldn't go near Gendry.

Gendry nodded to them, refusing to smile until they had walked past the design building and the two were alone for a few moments. He was intimidating to her friends, standing high above them at six foot something with a broad physique from playing lacrosse and judo. It didn't help the fact that he was in the upper sixth whereas Arya and her friends were in their fourth year.

"Heard about what Lannister is planning on doing?" he asked, peaking over her head and into the large open plan workshop where Arya's class were settling into a lecture before they could work among the machinery and the sixth formers finishing their A-level design pieces. They had perfected the routine and they had about three minutes to talk before Arya had to rejoin her class and Gendry had to rejoin his.

"Who? Joffrey?" Arya scowled. Ever since Joffery and Sansa had had a messy and painful breakup, she was wary whenever the Lannister name was mentioned. It didn't help that Joff was a dick.

"No," Gendry laughed and put his hands on her shoulders, calming her. "Relax spitfire. I meant Jaime. He's proposing to Brienne and Catelyn's hosting their engagement party this Friday."

"Yeah. Mum said something about finding me something to wear in a text earlier," she huffed. "Fuck. I've got to go, Mr Mormont is wrapping up his demo."

Gendry nodded and checked his phone. "Oh shit. Its Monday isn't it. I've got a uni meeting with Mr Aemon at lunch so don't wait up."

Arya nodded and the two parted, each sneaking back into their respective classes without a hitch.

* * *

Robb groaned as he threw his Spanish books into his locker unceremoniously. Margaery giggled beside him and closed the locker with a smirk.

"Serves you right for not taking him to school like you said you would," she teased and Robb pouted.

"I was out of the house by 7. There was no way in hell Rickon would have appreciated being dragged out of bed and being left to fend for himself until whatever club he had begun," he replied, wrapping an arm around Margaery's shoulder as they set off for Theon's car so that they could drive to the part of the campus where the lower years and the prep school were.

Catelyn had had a phone call from Ms Osha, Rickon's teacher, saying that he wasn't dressed in his school uniform and was not wearing any shoes. Catelyn had then proceeded to call Robb and berate him and he'd had to quietly excuse himself from the library where he had been studying during his free period.

Somehow, Bran had put the whole situation onto the group chat by the time Catelyn had hung up and Robb had met his smirking girlfriend at his locker whilst his siblings and Gendry took the piss out of him over text.

"How was I supposed to know Theon would just grab him and shove him into the car?" Robb asked as he slipped the spare set of keys for Theon's truck out from his bag. He opened the passenger door and Margaery climbed in with a kiss to his lips.

"Because you know Theon and you know Rickon. They are carbon copies of each other. All they want in life is a lie in and a stress-free time.

"Or to ruin someone's whole day," Robb mumbled and he was rewarded with Margaery's bright laughter.

"Yes, alright, or that. But I thought _you_ were on delivery duty this week," she added as they drove through the sprawling campus to pick up Rickon to drive him home to change. The Starks with a drivers license and a car had started referring to dropping their siblings off at school as a 'delivery service' and the phrase had stuck.

Robb frowned and slowed the car to a stop. His brows were furrowed and his knuckles were white as he gripped the steering wheel in anger. "Dad thought that Arya could use a driving lesson and took my car. She crashed into one of the sheds near the woods on Saturday."

Margaery's eyes went wide and she covered her mouth, trying to hide her laughter. "Oh, babe."

"Har bloody har. I'm without my car now till next weekend at least and I don't know what you're so happy about," he added with a quirk of his lips as they got out of the car to greet Ms Osha who was waiting for them with Rickon outside of the prep school's main office. "You're gonna have to get Loras to drive you to Winterfell and either Theon or Jon to drive you back here."

Margaery's face fell just as Rickon came bounding over, chatting about his morning with glee. Robb smirked and grabbed his little brother, taking full advantage of the fact that he was seven and would still let him.

"What's wrong with Margaery?" Rickon asked. "She looks like you broke up with her. Did you?"

Robb laughed and dropped Rickon back to his feet. "No. She's pissed you came and got a hug from me first. She always thought she was your favourite."

"She is. You are my favourite!" Rickon cried, running bodily into Margaery and nearly sending her to the floor.

"I'm not sure if you're mine!" Margaery recovered quickly and helped Rickon into the back of the car as Robb apologised to his teacher. "Don't tell Theon we're using his car," she faux-whispered and Rickon nodded and pretended to zip his lips.

"Can we have lunch at home? It's tuna pasta bake here and I don't like that," he asked as soon as Robb had gotten back into the car and was reversing up the drive.

"We'll have to see what time it is once we find the rest of your uniform. Robb and I have classes straight after lunch," Margaery said, flicking through the radio in an attempt to find a station. Eventually, just as Robb was slowing down to pass through the barrier at the front of the school, she gave up and plugged her phone into the aux. Rickon made grabby hands and Margaery just passed it back to him and settled in for the car ride.

"Did you even look for your tie and trousers this morning?"

Rickon began to shake his head but he quickly said yes. "Yeah! I woke up late."

Margaery frowned and turned in her seat to look back at him. Rickon was blushing and giving her a toothy smile. He was still wearing his pyjama bottoms. "Loras went and woke you up when we collected Sansa and Bran this morning. Wait a minute! Theon was already starting his car when we arrived!"

"You little shit," Robb just hissed, already out of the school's property and onto the main road leading towards Wintertown. "You and Theon planned this!"

"Maybe," came the cryptic response. "But Theon also threw my shoes on top of the garage. Just to make sure it would work."

" _Rickon_!"

* * *

By the time four o'clock rolled around, classes were finishing and after-school activities were beginning.

Arya, Robb, Jon, Gendry, Theon and Rickon had their sports practise on Mondays whilst both Sansa and Bran were enrolled in extra language classes and at five-thirty, the siblings met up by the cars.

Sansa wrapped herself into Jon's side as Robb and Theon argued about who would drive Theon's car. Bran had slipped off to 'study' at Meera Reed's as Arya and Gendry got into his car without any goodbyes.

"Come on man!" Robb cried.

"It's _my_ fucking car."

"But you're my brother! We share everything. Come on, remember what mum says... 'share boys'," he pleaded, using his pretty accurate imitation of Catelyn which usually made Theon crack a grin.

Theon's face remained impassive, both sets of keys swinging from his fingertips. "So if we share everything does that mean I can take Margaery for a spin tonight since that's what you did to my fucking car at lunch!"

Rickon was sat on the bonnet of Jon's car, just watching as he snacked on some fruit Catelyn had slipped into his bag with a shit-eating grin on his face.

Robb raised one eyebrow, his pointer finger outstretched as he blinked several times. "One, that's my girlfriend, show some bloody respect. And B, we had to take Rickon home so he could change and then I had to get on the fucking roof to get his shoes. All three of us were late back because one got stuck in the gutter."

Sansa and Jon laughed, both leaning against Jon's rusty hatchback, watching the scene unfold as Rickon held up his hands in surrender and Theon launched into another argument, this time defending Rickon.

"We should offer Robb a lift," Jon murmured into her hair and Sansa scoffed.

"No way. Margaery texted me saying she watched your lacrosse practise and one hundred per cent needed to come over this afternoon. No questions asked. I do not want to listen to the pair of them talk dirty to each in the backseat," she told him with a grin just as her phone buzzed in her blazer pocket.

The screen was lit up with a text from the Tyrell telling them she was just getting her economics folder from her room and was heading down to the car park.

"A fat lot of studying they'll be doing tonight," Sansa snickered, showing Jon the text as the two boys continued their half-hearted, over-dramatic argument.

"Gotta grab Monday nights by the neck," he said into the shell of her ear and Sansa shivered in his arms. Robb and Theon had grabbed each other by the material of their shirts and were attempting to throw the other to the floor unsuccessfully. "Not often that there no Mr or Mrs Stark at Winterfell. Wouldn't blame them."

"Robb! What the hell! Theon! Let go of him!"

The teasing atmosphere disappeared as Margaery came to a stop beside the group. The two boys broke away from each other, both huffing and frowning, trying to straighten their rumpled clothes.

"Sorry babe."

"Sorry."

Sansa looked over at her friend and groaned. Rather than looking stern or annoyed, Margaery was biting her lip and looking Robb up and down with a hunger in her eyes.

"Get in the fucking car Robbert," she ordered, throwing her folder into his arms and all but pulling her boyfriend into the backseat of Theon's truck.

"This is all Arya's fault! Fuck my life!" Theon swore. "Rickon you've got shotgun or you can ride with those prudes and avoid the live sex show in my backseat," he groaned and Rickon laughed.

"I'm gonna go with Sansa and Jon. We're picking Shireen up anyway," he said and Jon looked at Sansa with drawn-together brows.

"Are we? When did I agree to that?" he asked as they got in the car.

"You didn't but it's either that or Shireen's uncle never lets her near me her again after she gets mentally scarred from watching Margaery and Robb attack each other. He already doesn't like Theon," Rickon explained as Sansa grinned and put Shireen's address into her phone's GPS. "And I'm your favourite and if I never get to see my friend again I will blame it all on you."

"Woah. A lot to unpack there," Sansa giggled as Jon put the car into drive and sped off through the campus.

"Manipulative fucking snake," was all Jon said as Rickon grinned to himself in the backseat.

* * *

Winterfell was always noisy. The matriarch and patriarch of the family took full advantage of being able to leave for hours at a time when there was five children, two surrogate sons, one girlfriend, one almost-not-quite-boyfriend, six puppies and random friends who were just popping in, all under one roof.

The couple had a yoga class from five til six-thirty on Monday nights, then picked up take out and their children took full advantage of it. Rickon had friends round whilst Theon had his girlfriend of the week if he wasn't in the 'on' again phase of his relationship with Dacey Mormont. Robb and Margaery didn't leave his bedroom whereas Jon and Sansa took advantage of the free media room to binge on whatever boxset they were watching. Arya and Gendry were absent, driving around somewhere as Bran spent his time at the Reeds' house.

Jon lay with Sansa, catching up on their programmes with Ghost and Summer until seven-ten when Arya would call asking for someone to open the gate to let Gendry's car in and the house would become a chaotic mess as they got ready for the arrival of their parents at half-past.

Theon would be pushing whoever he was with that week out of the door and into their car whilst Bran would be running up the long driveway and using Theon's car as a step to climb onto the roof of the garage and into his bedroom.

Sansa would enter the kitchen and begin unloading and reloading the dishwasher as Margaery ran down the stairs with obvious bedhead to make it look as though she and Sansa had been studying at the kitchen island whilst Robb threw his dirty laundry into the machine and Jon tidied up downstairs.

"Rickon! Is Shireen staying for dinner?" Sansa shouted up and eventually she could hear the sound of her youngest brother's bedroom door opening, two floors away.

"Sansa!" Rickon whined but he was making his way to the kitchen regardless, Shireen and Shaggydog in tow. "You know she is!"

"Does mum know?" Sansa replied.

"Sans!" Rickon continued, finally in the open plan downstairs. "She always stays for tea on Mondays. It's our lego assembly night."

Sansa smiled as she put the clean cutlery away. "Good. Both of you can load the dishwasher then."

"But that's your chore," Rickon countered, trying to grab Shireen who was already moving to help.

"Don't make me tell Mum, Rickon Stark. Either that or I'll have Jon drive Shireen home," she threatened sweetly and Rickon gave up moaning and helped his friend, knowing he wouldn't be able to get past Sansa.

By the time Ned's Rangerover pulled up into his spot in front of the garage, the house looked as spotless in a way that never rose suspicions. Arya's hockey stick and the boy's muddy rugby boots were piled messily near the front door. Sansa and Margaery's school books were spread all over the island as the TV in the Den was on with Shireen and Rickon ignoring it in favour of their latest lego design. The dogs all padded over, knocking one another to greet Ned as he held open the front door for his wife, both still dressed in athletic clothes with the bags of food in her arms.

"Oh good, you're home," Margaery called from the island, her reading glasses on her nose and her econ book open in front of her and Sansa. "Ned, could you help with this theory?" she asked and Theon rolled his eyes at the charade as he filled up his glass from the fridge, taking one of the bags eagerly.

Catelyn pressed a kiss to his shoulder, the tallest part of him she could reach as she walked past him. "Has Robb thrown his sheets in the washing machine yet?" she asked and Theon smirked.

Nothing got past Catelyn Stark.

"Yeah and Arya and Gendry should be coming in from playing 'tennis' now," he replied, using his fingers to add air quotes around the sport as the couple entered the house from the conservatory, each holding a racquet and a ball with Nymeria holding another in her mouth as she followed. "Still don't know how they get the dog to cover for them," he added and Cat laughed and moved towards the island to begin plating up dinner. 


	2. Tuesday

**Tuesday**

Alarms had been set and the coffee machine was whirling away on the marble counter, dripping steaming hot coffee into Ned's flask as he sat at the island and chatted idly with Catelyn.

Tuesdays were slow and steady. A chance to catch up on things that had been neglected at the weekend and forgotten about on Monday. There were no clubs or practises to rush to and so the Starks all sat down and had a large cooked breakfast.

"How long will breakfast be, mum?" Arya asked as she skidded along the flagstones in her fluffy socks, tugging on a rope toy with Nymeria who was following close on her heels. "I want to take Nym out around the woods before school."

Catelyn shrugged, sipping on her tea. "Ask your brothers, since they've commandeered the kitchen this morning," she said, waving over her shoulder noncommittally at Theon and Robb standing shoulder-to-shoulder in front of the stove.

Arya's face dropped in surprise. "Why are _they_ making breakfast?"

Ned chuckled at Arya's scandalised tone and pulled Arya into his side by her wrist for a hug. "Why shouldn't they sweetheart? Give your old parents a break, huh?"

"Because Robb can burn water and Theon has never set foot in the kitchen intending to cook anything in his life," Sansa's voice cut in before Arya could reply.

"Piss off," Theon grumbled. "Actually, wait, no, come help, Sans."

Sansa threw her head back and laughed. "Only because I'm hungry and I want breakfast," she told them. She peeked over Robb's shoulder and smirked. He was trying to make sunny-side-up eggs but several of the yolks had split. "Okay, spill it. What did the pair of you do that you need to make up for?"

" _Maybe_ Theon reversed into my car and _maybe_ I threw a rock at him, he ducked and it broke a window in his car," Robb said, his voice higher than usual as Sansa took the spatula out of his hand and replaced it with a silicone whisk.

"You two are so dead," she laughed to herself. "Whisk, Robb. You're making scrambled eggs now whilst Theon slices the bread and puts it in the toaster."

Arya had managed to trick Nymeria into dropping the rope toy and she quickly scooped it up and threw it into the hallway where Shaggydog and Lady were sleeping. The pair sprung up and the trio ran through the house and into the garden to play. "Alright, I'm totally gonna take the dogs out. I'll be back in half an hour, maybe less if I run," Arya said, already moving to leave and get changed.

"Wake up Jon and take him and Rickon with you," Ned ordered and Arya nodded as she left.

Breakfast passed without incident thanks to Sansa's interception and the children were piling into cars and driving to school. Theon and Robb had told Ned about the damage to their respective vehicles and had run out of the front door with Rickon and Bran in tow before he could reply. Arya and Jon drove together, picking Gendry up on the way and Sansa helped Cat clean the kitchen as she waited for the Tyrells to text her since all three had a free period first and were allowed to go in later.

"What time did Loras pick Margaery up last night?" Catelyn asked as they finished loading the dishwasher.

Sansa groaned and pouted. "Loras has the flu. Came down with it yesterday just after classes ended and he's been grounded to the medical bay at school so Theon drove her back. That's how he dented Robb's car. He pulled in and it was dark and since Robb's car is black..." she trailed off. "Good job Dad hadn't taken it to the garage yet."

"Oh, that's a shame. Will he be over the worst of it by the weekend do you think?" Cat asked, unbothered about the damage the boys had caused as their insurance covered everything and they had both apologised profusely.

Sansa shrugged. "I don't know. Probably but I just don't want Marg or I to catch it next." Catelyn nodded in agreement. "What is happening this weekend mum?"

Cat half-smiled and Sansa's phone pinged and lit up with a text from Margaery who was travelling solo. She wasn't the most confident of drivers and so Sansa's stomach was knotting with anxiety.

"Miraculously, none of this has trickled back to Brienne but Jaime is proposing on Friday afternoon and then everyone is coming here. Actually, that reminds me. Everyone is on cleaning duty on Thursday. Absolutely everyone Sansa," her mother said sternly.

Sansa nodded as she opened the gates and watched on the small monitor the grainy video feed of Margaery's slow ascent up Winterfell's drive.

"I'll leave that to your organisation mum."

* * *

Bran wandered through the main corridor in the Languages block, texting Jojen and not paying attention until he was forced to side-step Theon who was stood in the middle, blocking his path.

"Yes?"

Theon raised one eyebrow. "When were you going to tell me you were seeing Meera Reed?"

"What?" Bran asked, blinking in confusion. "Who says I'm seeing Meera Reed?"

Theon glared harder but Bran just looked back at him impassively. "The entirety of the Mudmen football team came at me this morning after break telling me that if my brother hurts Meera they would ensure that I won't be able to say the word 'lacrosse' let alone play the bloody sport," Theon said. "And that was a direct quote."

Bran cocked his head to the side. "I don't think one goalkeeper and the striker counts as the entire football team, Theon."

Theon grumbled to himself. "If you already knew I'd been ambushed, why the pretence? And when were you going to tell me?"

"We aren't dating. Just... hanging out. Jojen knows and so does Sansa but besides that, no-one else really knows," Bran said. "It's nothing serious, that's why I haven't said anything."

Theon nodded but his shoulders were still slumped. "Okay. You would tell me though, wouldn't you?"

Bran smiled. "Of course. It's not like I could go to Robb for advice since he's been with Marg for ages and it was more her doing than his. And Jon is just as hopeless and I don't want to hear about Sansa so..."

Theon threw his arm around Bran's shoulders and they continued walking.

"Also, Dacey Mormont told her sister that if you were to ask her out again, she would probably say yes," Bran told him with a secretive smirk.

"I don't want to know how you know everything but thank you, little brother," Theon grinned.

* * *

Jon slowed his car to a stop and waited for Sansa to finish her conversation. She had an arm around a bored-looking Rickon to keep him by her side as she stood with several other girls in her classes, laughing and joking, unaware that Jon had pulled up. He could recognise a few. Alys Karstark was around at Winterfell quite often and he sort of recognised Myrcella Baratheon.

He rolled down his window, about to call out her name when Sansa's face paled and she suddenly stopped talking. Rickon stopped squirming and looked up at his sister and frowned.

"You shouldn't be showing your face around here, Stark. My sister doesn't need to be seen talking to slutty Sansa," a rude voice called out and Jon watched with gritted teeth as Joffrey sauntered through the parked cars and to the group's side. Jon desperately wanted to get out of the car and tell Joffrey to piss off but he knew that would only embarrass Sansa. Instead, he sent a quick text to Catelyn, telling her what was happening.

"Shut up!" Rickon shouted out and Sansa swore, placing a hand over his mouth as Myrcella apologised profusely.

"I'm so sorry Sansa. I didn't realise he was back in the North. He must be visiting our father," she said, almost in tears as Joffery appeared by her side with a sneer as he looked at Sansa.

"What are you doing, slut? Are you making my sister cry?" he jeered.

Sansa took a calming breath and smiled down at Joffery. "Joff, it's so lovely to see you again. How is your mother? Is she still as batshit insane as she was?"

Joffery's lips curled back and Myrcella smiled slightly and sniffed. She loved her mother but Cersei had never gotten on with Sansa and had always found a way to put her son's ex-girlfriend down, something that had upset Myrcella when the two had been dating.

"Don't you dare say a word about my mother," Joffery hissed.

"Baratheon!" a voice boomed over the lawns. Sandor Clegane, one of Sansa's teachers was striding across the campus. "You were expelled and therefore cannot set one measly foot on this campus. Do you hear me? Get away from Sansa!"

"Come on Joff. Let's go," Myrcella sighed, pulling on her brother's arm. "Sansa doesn't care and you're just going to get into trouble. You're not allowed anywhere near here."

Joffery scoffed and wrenched his arm back, pushing his sister who stumbled back. Sansa manoeuvred Rickon so that he was behind her and gently pushed him into Aly's arms before she stepped closer to the boy. Clegane still had one eye upon the group but he had made a detour to intervene between a couple who were kissing against the main school as though their lives depended on it.

"If I see you lay one more hand on her," Sansa warned. She hadn't seen Joffery in nearly a year and in that time she had grown a good six or seven inches taller than him. It also helped that they were still at school, where Joffery had been expelled and was thought lowly upon, and she felt confident and calm, knowing she could handle her horrible ex-boyfriend.

"What are you going to do? Fuck your brother again?" Joffery sneered and those who had gathered around them reeled back.

Sansa and Joffery had broken up for a myriad of reasons last summer. The main one being that Joffery had pushed Sansa down a small flight of stairs in the fifth form boarding house during an argument and had broken her arm. The second being that he was possessive, mean and jealous. He had always spoken ill of her family and had tried to kick Lady on several occasions. Once they had broken up and Joffery had been expelled from Northern for injuring Sansa, she had moved on, comforted by the restraining order she had against him.

More specifically, Sansa had moved on to Jon. Sansa and Jon had spent more time together as she got used to her cast and he had hobbled around Winterfell on crutches after a rugby accident. The summer between Sansa's fifth year and going into lower sixth had provided a better friendship and subsequent relationship with the boy her parents had practically adopted after Robb had brought him home in their first week in nursery and after Jon's mother had died when he had been five.

Nobody at school had any qualms with Sansa and Jon. They were respectful of those around them and were notoriously private. Everyone knew that whilst Jon was a brother to Robb, Arya, Theon, Rickon and Bran, he and Sansa had never clicked as children. They had barely talked up until the summer they were both restricted by plaster casts. The couple didn't hold hands in the hallways or sneak off to kiss and barely acted like a couple when at school.

"Low blow," someone said.

"That's just horrible," another replied.

"What a dick."

Sansa blinked and glared down at Joffery. Myrcella had stepped back and was apologising to Rickon quietly. Clegane was still interfering with the couple and Jon had resigned himself to staying in the car, knowing it would be worse if he was there.

"What did you say?" Sansa asked slowly.

"I said you were fucking your brother," Joffery replied. "That's why we broke up. Because you were fucking Jon Snow behind my back," he spat out and Myrcella covered Rickon's ears as Alys hugged him close.

Sansa stood up straighter and flicked her red hair over her shoulder. She gathered all of her courage and tried to channel Arya's unwavering nerve as everyone watched with bated breath.

"And what a better shag he is. At least I can say I am satisfied every time now I don't have to fake it," she said cooly as the crowd shouted in delight and Joffery turned a sour shade of red.

"You bitch!"

"But not your bitch anymore," she sassed back.

Joffery balled his fists and went to grab Sansa's wrist but she moved quicker, already tense and on edge and drew her hands back.

"You ungrateful, slutty, two-faced fucking bitch," Joffery seethed and those gathered around them shifted. They looked for Clegane and any others to intervene before the fight got nasty. Thankfully, it was mainly verbal as Sansa said something back to Joffery which made the gathered students laugh.

Jon couldn't hear exactly what was being said but he had heard the roar of the crowd and had seen Alys pull Rickon away. He got out of his car, unbothered about embarrassing Sansa as long as she was safe.

"Rickon," he called and the seven-year-old ran into his arms, almost crying.

"Joffery is saying horrible things about you and Sansa. I think he's going to hurt her again," he whimpered and Jon pressed his lips into a thin line.

"Come on, let's get you in the car and then I'll go and make sure Sansa is alright," he told him and he helped Rickon into his backseat. "Thanks, Alys," he said after he shut the car door.

"It's alright, but seriously, Rickon's right. I think he might hurt her," Alys told Jon who nodded tightly.

Jon fished his phone out of his pocket and rang Robb. It rang only once before he picked up.

"Yo, mate. Apparently, there's a fight going on in front of the main building, near Clegane's office," Robb's said joyfully down the phone. "Theon and I are on our way."

"That's what I was calling about," Jon began warily.

"Who is it? Is it anyone good? Oh, here's Arya and Gendry!" Robb asked and Jon glanced over at Sansa and Joffery who were still trading scalding insults but had yet to try and hit each other which Jon took as a good sign. Sansa could handle her own in a battle of wits.

"Its Sansa and Joffery Baratheon," Jon said carefully and he could hear Robb swear and relay the information onto Theon.

"What is that little bastard doing anywhere near her?" he seethed, instantly angered.

"I don't know. I was just coming to pick Sansa and Rickon up when he showed up looking for his sister. They're just insulting each other at the moment but Rickon's practically crying in my backseat and I think he's going to hit her," Jon explained, opening the car door and letting Alys slide in next to Rickon.

Robb parroted what Jon had said to Theon who swore so loud Jon could hear it perfectly. Arya was also swearing up a storm.

"We are just coming through the main building. I can see you!" Robb said and Jon looked over to the building's great double doors. Robb and Theon were running hurridly with Arya and Gendry in tow. They waved and Jon joined them quickly since he was parked closer to them than to Sansa and the fight.

"What's happening?" Arya demanded, only being held in place by Gendry's large hand. If he wasn't holding her back, Arya would already be punching the teen.

"She's holding her own. He's just saying stuff about me," Jon explained. "Rickon's in my car with Alys Karstark and Clegane was on his way over but he got caught up with something else."

"Oi, fuckface!" Arya cried, having wriggled out of Gendry's grasp and was striding down the paths to Sansa's side. "Get the hell away from my sister!"

Joffrey laughed and spat at Arya's feet. "Look who it is! Your savage of a sister. It that bastard Waters enjoying his little boy toy?" he teased, looking Arya up and down. She was wearing her sports kit and looked more androgynous than usual with her mud-stained kit and messy hair.

Sansa grabbed Arya's arm and pulled her back roughly before her sister could react. "At least they're happy together. That's more than I can say for you, Joff. What's wrong? Does nobody compare to me or has everyone realised you're a psychopath who can't keep it up?" Sansa sneered.

Arya laughed, holding her thumb and her forefinger up to mimick Joffrey's small size and he growled. "Bitches. All of the Starks are bastards and fucking bitches," he cried but the sisters paid him no mind.

Arya then made her fingers wilt with a giggle. "It must be hard having more dick in your personality than in your boxers."

Before either girl could laugh, Joffery had grabbed Arya by the hair and Sansa by her throat as Myrcella shrieked and the crowd began to shout for help.

Instantly it was chaos.

Arya was screaming, trying to get Joffrey to let go whilst trying to kick him at the same time.

Sansa was scratching at his hand, coughing as he mildly strangled her.

The boys had run, ignoring the _do not walk upon the grass_ signs as they jumped over the ropes and ran across the immaculate lawn, an act that was punishable at the school.

Jon was the first there and he swung at Joffrey, growling as his fist connected with the teen's nose and blood began pouring down his face.

Robb grabbed Sansa and pulled her away, checking her neck and her face, asking if she was alright. Margaery appeared by their side, handing a tissue to Sansa and laying a soothing hand on Robb's.

Theon was at Jon's car, checking in on Rickon and making sure he was alright before he crossed the grounds and went to Jon's side, helping him beat up Joffrey.

Gendry had made a beeline straight for Arya and had scooped her up by the middle, holding her aloft over his shoulder as she wriggled and shouted, cursing Joffrey to hell and back. She managed to land a few solid kicks on the boy somehow.

"Baratheon!" Clegane boomed, tugging Theon and Jon backwards. Bronn was there checking Sansa over whilst Mr Jeor Mormont, the ageing headmaster, was stood with Bran at his side, watching as Clegane dragged Joffrey up by his clothing.

"I was _attacked_!" he cried, his teeth covered in blood. Bronn grabbed the back of Robb's blazer to keep him in place. Jon huffed, his nostrils flared and he turned, walking over to Sansa to ensure she was okay, his shirt and tie askew.

"Mr Baratheon, you were expelled from this school for injuring Miss Stark last year. Your parents agreed to the terms that you would _not_ step foot within this school's campus again. I made myself very clear. I have called the police and you will be arrested for trespassing," Jeor said, his voice carrying naturally over the crowd that had gathered.

"I was _attacked_ , headmaster! _All_ of the Starks attacked _me_!" Joffrey cried again.

"Eddard and Catelyn have also been phoned, along with your parents. All of you, to my office, _now_ ," Jeor continued, ignoring Joffrey's outburst. "Including you, Waters, and you Miss Tyrell," he said, pointing out Gendry and Margaery who had rushed over as soon as the boys had.

* * *

Mr Mormont's office was large, filled with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and paperwork stacked high on his desk. His even older secretary, Aemon Targaryen, let the Starks into the office without a word.

It had been twenty minutes but Catelyn and Ned were already seated in front of the desk and when she saw her children, Catelyn stood up and opened her arms, pulling all seven close to her as best she could. Gendry and Margaery hung back but Ned hugged them close, ignoring the way Gendry's face screwed up in confusion and how Margaery was pressed uncomfortably under his armpit.

"Where is my son?" the shrill voice of Cersei Lannister broke the Starks' out of their quiet moment.

Cersei strode into the office with her ex-husband, son and daughter in tow. Robert grinned and shook Ned's hand fondly whilst his estranged ex-wife glared daggers at Sansa. Myrcella smiled softly but her eyes were red and she had obviously been crying. Little Tommen had wrapped his arms around his sister's middle in support.

"Cersei, its a shame about the circumstances but lovely to see you, Robert," Catelyn beamed, kissing her husband's oldest friend on either cheek.

"Don't play nice with me, Catelyn. Your sons have abused my Joff! They've broken his nose!" Cersei hissed and Catelyn just smiled, stepping in front of all of her family protectively.

"Do you know where your son is now, Cersei? He is being arrested for trespassing and breaking a court-ordered restraining order. Do you remember how _your son_ broke _my daughter's_ arm last summer?" Catelyn smiled sweetly as Jeor entered his office with Clegane and Bronn in tow.

"Catelyn, Eddard," he said, shaking Ned's hand and kissing Cat's cheek as he passed them. "Robert," he said, clapping the portly man on the back. "Take a seat everyone."

"Jeor..." Cersei began but the headmaster held up his hand with a withering stare.

"Please, Mrs Baratheon, call me Mr Mormont," he told her and Cersei raised one eyebrow.

"It's Lannister once more, Mr Mormont, and my son was attacked by these... _miscreants_! I would like to press charges!" Cersei continued, despite Robert's deep sigh.

"Cersei," Robert began warily.

"Shut up!" Cersei replied out of the corner of her mouth.

"Firstly, Miss Lannister, your son was expelled last year and both you and your ex-husband, along with your son, signed a legal document stating that he would never set foot upon this campus again. Secondly, Joffrey was also breaching the restraining order Sansa Stark had against him after he broke her arm and pushed her down a flight of stairs. You do remember attending the court dates, don't you Miss Lannister," Jeor said, steepling his fingers as he glared at Cersei.

Bronn began to cough behind them all, trying to smother his laughter.

Cersei looked affronted and sat silenced in her chair.

"Now, I would like to hear what happened from you Sansa, if you don't mind," Jeor said, turning to face her.

"I was waiting for Jon to pick us up so I was talking to a couple of my friends. Myrcella was there and then suddenly Joffrey turned up and began calling me derogatory names," she began.

"And I assume those with you could concur. Miss Baratheon?" Mr Mormont asked and Myrcella nodded, wrapped in her father's arms.

"We were just chatting about the school paper and then he came storming over, calling Sansa all of these horrible names and he pushed me away. That's when Sansa stood up for me and..."

"Myrcella!" Cersei spat. "Not another word."

"Enough, Cersei. We will not be pressing charges because Joff was in the wrong. Ned, Cat, Sansa, I am so sorry for my boy's behaviour," Robert said, speaking over his ex-wife.

"They need to be punished! They broke his nose!"

Mr Mormont held up his hands. "They will. Jon, Theon, you will spend tomorrow at home. Arya, you will write me a one-page essay on whatever you like to make up for your language. Sansa, you will come to my office tomorrow morning and we will sort something out."

"Suspension and a bloody essay!" Cersei said, angered further by the fact that she could see Joffrey being escorted to a police car just outside of Mormont's office through the windows.

"Yes, and I suggest you and your ex-husband accompany your son to the station and take your other children home," Mormont said dryly.

Cersei left without looking back and Robert sighed.

"Sorry about all of this," he apologised. "Joff has been prescribed some medicine to balance out his moods but Cersei doesn't want him taking it."

Ned patted his friend on the shoulder. "We all have problems. You're still more than welcome to come on Friday," Ned said with a smile. "The outhouses are being turned into guest houses so everyone's staying over. That includes you two," he added to Bronn and Clegane since both were family friends and already invited.

Robert grinned, pulling Myrcella into his side. "Imagine if she says no," he joked. He didn't know how his old brother-in-law would cope if Brienne turned his proposal down.

"She won't daddy," Myrcella assured him.

"Don't know. Lannisters are trouble," Bronn joked.

"I still cannot believe he is even going to try," Clegane added as they left the office.

* * *

Dinner was a loud affair since Samwell Tarly, a friend of Jon's was over and so were both of the Reed children. They gathered around the long dinner table and slid onto the benches, all pressed together as they passed the pasta bowl around, followed by the sauce.

"So..." Theon grinned wickedly. He had purposely made sure that he was sat across from Bran and Meera whilst Jojen was sat a little further down with Arya.

"Shut up Theon," Bran replied.

"Just wanted to let Meera know that the trellis is another option if my car isn't parked under the garage," he added with a cheeky smile.

"I already know but thanks," Meera said and Theon nearly choked on his mouthful.

"WHAT!" he gasped and Robb gave him a weird look from the other side of the table. "How did I not know you were sneaking her in? I'm the master of that!"

"Same way you didn't know about Gendry sneaking in," Bran shrugged, helping himself to more pasta.

"What!" Theon said again, turning to Gendry. "How do you do it, man?"

Gendry raised one eyebrow, his fork halfway on its journey between his plate and his mouth. "How do I do what?"

Arya threw a piece of pasta at Theon from the other end of the table.

" _Arya_!"

"It slipped."

"Pasta doesn't slip horizontally off of a fork," Ned replied, deadpan.

Theon swallowed his half-chewed mouthful. "Later," he hissed at Gendry who was still confused but he shrugged his shoulders and turned back to talking with Jon and Sam.

Meera and Bran were laughing into their hands.

"I don't know how you know..." Theon said, accentuating every word with a thrust of his fork.

"Magic," was all Bran said in reply.

* * *

Just as Gendry was leaving for the night, Theon pulled him aside before he got to his car.

"How are you sneaking in without Catelyn knowing!"

Gendry shushed him and unlocked his car, shoving Theon into the passenger seat. "Arya's trained Nymeria into opening the gate, she presses the buzzer with her nose. Arya doesn't get out of bed, she just sends Nym to press the buzzer and I park just inside the gates. Climb up onto the garage and through Arya's window and voila."

Theon nodded. "Is there any way she could get Nymeeria to do that for my dates? Maybe she could just train Shaggydog for me," he thought out loud.

Gendry laughed and started his engine. "It doesn't happen every night. Anyway, Bran said you were going to ask Dacey Mormont out again and Catelyn likes her."

"I'm going to wring his fucking neck," Theon sighed, getting out of the car.

"But then who would gossip with you?" Gendry asked. "Night Greyjoy."

"Fuck off Waters!"


	3. Wednesday

**Wednesday**

Ned was out of the door before anyone else had even woken up and before the sun had even risen. He planned to start early and finish early so that he wouldn't miss the trip to the cinema Sansa was planning that afternoon.

In the passenger seat of his car, Theon was snoozing whilst Jon was sprawled out across the backseat with Ghost in the boot, both snoring. Since neither boy was allowed at school, Ned had decided to take them with him into work to keep them out of trouble at home and to make use of the extra pairs of hands.

He had not factored in the thought that Jon would crawl into the car with Ghost on his heels and that Theon would barely get out of his pyjamas. Neither looked professional. Jon's curly hair was escaping the bun he'd tried to tie it back into and Theon had a small piece of drool staining his chin as he slept the entire ride to Ned's office.

"Okay, I have a meeting with a client at seven and then some paperwork to fill out but we should be home by lunchtime," Ned told them as they entered the building and travelled up the floors to Ned's office.

"Who on Earth comes into a meeting at seven in the morning," Theon asked as they wandered through the deserted floor towards Ned's large office.

"Adults, Theon. Especially adults going through a messy and high-profile divorce," Ned laughed, unlocking his door and letting the two boys and the dog in.

"Who is it?" Jon asked, throwing himself onto the sofa with a groan whilst Ned powered up his computer and Theon went straight for the coffee machine all of the kids had pooled together to buy for Ned at Christmas. Ghost lay across Jon's lap.

"This doesn't leave this office, boys," Ned began and they nodded. Ned knew they would only tell their siblings regardless. "Robert Glover is divorcing Sybelle and had requested that his mistress be given half of Sybelle's very rare jewellery in the settlement," he told them and the boys whistled.

"That's just wrong," Jon mumbled into Ghost's fur.

"Not nearly as bad as when Ellaria Sand demanded that her father should pay for her children's child support since he never paid her mother any. It was a whole heap of problems because Ellaria didn't know who her father was and was calling for every male member of the Uller family of age to undergo a paternity test."

Theon laughed as he sipped his coffee and settled into an armchair next to Jon. "What else have you dealt with?"

Ned sat back and smiled. "Just you wait..." he began before launching into some of the most challenging cases he had worked on since opening his law firm.

* * *

Arya had written a rushed essay on the correct techniques within fencing and dropped it off with Aemon as she walked Sansa to Mr Mormont's office before registration.

"I still cannot believe you handed that in," Sansa smiled as they took a seat outside the office, waiting for the headmaster.

Arya shrugged and used the scuffed toe of her non-regulation converse to trace the pattern on the carpet. Her knee-high socks were bunched around her ankles and she had rolled the sleeves of her blazer up to her elbows. "He said an essay on _anything_ and that was something Mr Forel wanted me to know."

"Arya, off to reg. Sansa, follow me," Mr Mormont's arrival broke the conversation and the two sisters said a quiet goodbye. Sansa followed the headmaster into his office, nervously fiddling with the cuff of her cardigan. "Sit down, Sansa."

Mr Mormont waited for Sansa to sit in front of his desk before he nodded and began filling a kettle Sansa had never noticed before.

"Tea?"

"Yes, please."

"Whilst I sympathise and support your reactions yesterday, Cersei Lannister and her father are donators to the school and directly fund the debate team and several other smaller activities. I cannot let them think that I have let all of the Starks off scot-free. Do you take sugar?" Mormont asked and Sansa shook her head.

"No, just milk, please. So I take it I am being punished but not like Jon and Theon," she guessed and gratefully took the mug of tea from the headmaster.

"Not at all, but for all intents and purposes, you are being. You will stay in my office, help Aemon out with anything and do anything you like but know that if he ever does anything like his again, I will make sure he cannot be in the same city as you. You are safe here, Sansa."

Sansa nodded and sipped her tea. "Thank you, headmaster."

"No problem. Now go and see if Aemon needs any help. If not, you can go and get your things and do your work in here."

* * *

None of the Starks had clubs after school on Wednesdays and they tried to do something together as a family in the afternoon.

As soon as they were back from school, Sansa was pushing her siblings up the stairs to get changed, eager to leave to catch the early showing of the film she had been dying to watch at the cinema.

The doorbell rang and Brienne opened the front door without waiting for an answer.

"Hello! We're here!"

"Aunt Brienne!" Rickon cried dramatically, throwing himself into the woman's arms. "Mum's upstairs."

Jaime slid into the kitchen and threw his arm around Sansa once he saw her. She had already dressed and was filling up her water bottle, waiting for the rest of the house.

"Hey, kiddo. Rick doesn't know right," he whispered tensely, throwing a look over his shoulder as Brienne threw Rickon over her shoulder.

"Of course not," Sansa scoffed, gently elbowing him in the ribs. "We aren't _all_ idiots."

"That was one time!" Jaime joked, thinking back to when he had told Rickon about the surprise party he had planned for Brienne who then promptly asked Brienne if she was excited to go.

Brienne had been friends with Catelyn since they had worked with each other before Arya had been born. Despite the slight age difference, the two women were very close and Brienne was Rickon's godmother. Jaime had met her shortly after his sister, Cersei, had divorced Robert. He had always known the Starks and considered them good friends, especially Ned after he had handled the divorce so professionally, and through them, he'd met Brienne.

Catelyn and his brother Tyrion had been the first people Jaime had told about wanting to propose.

"Do you have it on you?" Sansa asked excitedly.

"Have what?" Brienne asked, entering the kitchen with Rickon on her back. "If this is that cake tin then no, we both forgot," she added apologetically.

"Don't worry about that. I made Jon track down all the ones Gendry and Sam Tarly had taken over the last few months," Sansa laughed, hugging Brienne as best she could whilst Rickon was over her shoulder. "We're almost fully stocked up on Tupperware once more, don't worry."

Brienne laughed and smiled brightly, shimmying her shoulders to make Rickon squeal and grip her harder. "Good. How would I survive without Winterfell's leftovers when Jaime goes back to King's Landing next week!"

Rickon picked up his head, reaching up and pushing his unruly curls away so he could twist and look at Jaime. It was hard considering he was still in a fireman's lift on Brienne's shoulders and facing away from him but it didn't stop him.

"You're going South?" he asked with a pout. "Can you bring me back another set of rollerskates?"

Sansa scoffed and Brienne put Rickon back on his feet. He clasped his hands together in front of Jaime and batted his lashes, popping out his lower lip in an attempt to flatter and guilt the man.

"Rickon, you already have skates," Sansa told him warily as Robb entered the kitchen.

"Yeah, but they're Robb's!"

Robb held up his hands in defence. "Hey! They served me well and if they still fit, I would be skating all the time."

"See! His manky feet made them gross!" Rickon argued and Jaime grinned, ruffling his hair fondly.

"Maybe kiddo, maybe not. Why don't you call Tyrion and ask him?" he joked, smiling at Catelyn as she followed after her eldest son to greet their guests.

"Because he's grumpy," was all Rickon said in reply before Catelyn called him over to get changed out of his school uniform. Brienne offered to keep him company and chose an outfit and the pair left the four in the kitchen.

Jaime wiped his forehead and let out a loud, over-dramatic sigh. "Thank god. If you could stamp out his need for rollerskates cause I'm not actually going South, that would be much appreciated."

Robb's brows drew together. "You aren't?"

Sansa flicked her brother on the bicep and looked at him with a weighted look. "He's taking Brienne to Tarth to celebrate the engagement, remember?"

"If she says yes, otherwise Tyrion said he would take the other ticket and just spend the week getting drunk with me," Jaime laughed but he couldn't mask his nervous smile.

Catelyn laid a hand on his arm and smiled sympathetically at him. "You are a dense man sometimes."

"Thanks," Jaime replied, not insulted in the slightest.

"She will say yes," Sansa assured him. "Now where the hell is Arya and Dad? What did Jon and Theon do today?"

Catelyn looked up from her phone. "Arya's upstairs and your dad took the boys to the office with him this morning and just texted to say they'd meet us there."

"ARYA!" Robb shouted, using his hands to make a megaphone as those in the kitchen winced at his volume.

" _Robbert_ ," Catelyn sighed but she was interrupted by Arya's thunderous footsteps as she ran down the stairs to tackle her brother, sending the pair of them tumbled through the foyer. " _Arya_."

Jaime clapped his hands together, grinning with unfiltered joy. "I love Winterfell. Let's get going or else we'll miss the previews," he ordered, watching Brienne descend the stairs in a more graceful manner.

"Good idea. We still need to get our tickets and popcorn," Brienne said, poking Rickon's shoulders to make him laugh as they followed Arya and Robb out to the cars.

* * *

The movie had been an action-stroke-comedy film which had met at least one criteria for all of those watching. The high-speed car chase and subsequent fight scenes had enthralled Arya, Rickon, Ned, Brienne, Robb and Theon whilst the comedic banter between the main character and his sidekick had tickled Jon, Catelyn and Jaime. Sansa had just sat back, appreciating the cinematic way it had been filmed as she had eaten her way through both hers and Arya's buckets of popcorn, listening to Bran as he recited behind the scenes fact to her under his breath.

"That was wicked, especially when he ripped the car in half and the children from the orphanage were still inside it," Rickon grinned, bouncing along as they left the cinema and congregated near the three cars they had all taken.

"I didn't expect that, I'll be honest with you," Brienne agreed.

"You grabbed my hand so hard I nearly died," Jaime laughed, elbowing her in the side with a grin.

"What! That was so cliche!" Arya groaned. "You knew those children were safe. Harkin wouldn't let them just die."

"Harkin was nowhere _near_ the car. What are you on about," Theon said, throwing his arm around her and rubbing his knuckles into her hair, despite her protests.

Catelyn had her arm through Ned's laughing quietly at their children's antics. Regardless of the film they watched, there were always disputes about the plot and the characters. "Say goodnight Rickon," she prompted her youngest son. "Until the next time you're both at Winterfell," she added, smiling coyly as Jaime's face dropped behind Brienne's back.

Brienne grinned, sweeping those around her into her arms for a strong, slightly squished hug. Robb, Jon and Bran, all just as tall as the woman, were still engrossed in their conversation whilst Sansa and Bran's faces were pushed into their siblings' clothes.

"Can't breathe," Sansa groaned and Brienne let them go.

Arya and Theon hugged her close, both quick but fond in their farewells.

"See you Fr- soon," Arya said, cutting herself off before she spoiled the surprise. Robb had also clamped his hand onto her shoulder, pinching at the junctures between her neck and collarbones.

Brienne just laughed along and fished her car keys out of her back pocket. She turned and smiled at Jaime. "Ready to go?"

He nodded and said goodbye to Ned and the boys as Brienne unlocked their Jeep and started the engine, leaving Jaime to finish saying goodbye to Sansa and Cat.

"Seven o'clock on Friday," was all Catelyn said with a tight-lipped smiled. "The children will be helping to set up the house," she told him without moving her lips, knowing that Bran was watching and had picked up the annoying habit of lip-reading and would no doubt try to schedule something so that he didn't have to help.

"It'll be fine," Sansa reassured the man. "Thank you for both coming tonight."

"Don't make me gag, you soft thing," Jaime joked. His posture relaxed hearing her reassurance. "And I heard about Joffery..."

Sansa shook her head as her mother hugged her close. Catelyn rested her head against her daughter's shoulder, silently supporting her.

"It's over now. Neither he nor his mother are coming anywhere near Winterfell or the college again so I am alright. Promise."

Jaime nodded, his eyes crinkled in worry. "Trusting you, kid. Did you throw a punch?"

" _Jaime_!" Catelyn admonished.

Sansa laughed, watching over her mother's head as their family got into the cars. "Arya did and someone broke his nose before I could land the blow," she said. "I'm sorry it turned out so messy."

Jaime shrugged and ruffled her hair, making Sansa duck out his reach. "My life is so much richer than hers. I can only pity her. I have a wonderful partner, excellent friends and annoying pseudo-children who are obsessed with me," he joked, throwing a look over his shoulder to Rickon.

Jaime had been overjoyed when Sansa and his nephew had begun dating. He had fallen out with his twin sister just after they had graduated university after over their father's declining health and how to look after him. Whilst Jaime and Tyrion wanted to hire full-time help, Cersei had fussed and refused, claiming it to be a waste of money. Cersei had left King's Landing and married Robert Baratheon, had three children and had not spoken to her brothers in all of that time. Jaime hadn't met any of his nephews or his niece until Sansa brought Joffery home for a Winterfell family dinner and both he and Brienne happened to be there.

If anyone took it hard when Joffery had turned out to be a violent little shit, Jaime had.

"Now who's being soft?" Sansa teased.

"Piss off Stark," was all Jaime said as the trio parted and began driving to their homes, all happy and content after such a wholesome night.


	4. Thursday

**Thursday**

"Jon Snow! I am going to skin you alive!"

Lady whimpered as she watched her mistress stomp through the kitchen with dripping wet hair and a towel wrapped around her body.

Jon had flinched at the island, swearing as he turned to watch Sansa storm her way down the stairs and into the kitchen. He couldn't help but smile at seeing her so frustrated. The fact that her red hair was half-covered in bubbles made him smirk, but it was quickly wiped away as he scattered to put the island between them.

"Sans, you're making a puddle," Robb said without looking up from his calculus textbook from the dining table.

Sansa practically growled at her brother and turned her infamous glare onto her boyfriend who cleared his throat, his eyes snapping up from her chest to her furious eyes.

"Don't you dare!" Sansa seethed when she saw him open his mouth to speak. "You used all of the hot water. _Again!_ You slimy son of a bitch!"

Cat and Ned had already left for the day and they'd dropped Rickon off at his early-morning art club so Sansa didn't have to censor her anger.

Jon held up his hands and she came around the island to his side. "Woah. What? Why is it my fault? Arya showered this morning."

" _Because_ ," Sansa began, poking Jon in the chest with every syllable. "Arya was making a racket this morning at six when she showered before leaving for her club. You, on the other hand, are _always_ the last to shower and guess who didn't let me set an alarm last night cause we _just had_ to finish your stupid biology project and I overslept and you've used _all of the hot fucking water_!"

Robb laughed into his mug and quickly gather all of his schoolwork, making a sharp exit.

Jon grabbed Sansa's hand in his, ceasing her efforts to poke a hole through his chest. "I've not showered yet cause its Thursday. I've got lacrosse practise this morning," he told her and she frowned. She reached out and ran a hand through Jon's curls. Her fingers got snagged and his hair was dry to the touch. He hadn't bothered to tie it back or comb it, let alone shampoo or condition it. "And you said you didn't mind helping me with the project."

" _BRAN_!" Sansa screeched just as said brother wandered into the kitchen to pour himself a coffee. His hair was neatly combed and drying and he was dressed in his uniform. His shoulders rose in shock.

"It was Theon."

Sansa scoffed. Bran always had one of his siblings' names on his tongue for whenever he was blamed for something. "Unlikely since they've all got lacrosse this morning. Its Thursday, remember."

Bran screwed his nose up, mentally kicking himself and he turned to face his enraged sister. "Oh god, will you go put on some clothes, you're worse than Margaery."

"Hey, you've never complained before," Robb's distant shout made Bran roll his eyes. It was not his fault his brother's girlfriend was comfortable wearing very little usually.

"I would but _someone_ used the last of the hot water and there won't be any for at least an hour now," Sansa glared.

"Oops," was all Bran said and Sansa grabbed the last slice of Jon's toast and chucked it at her brother who dodged the slice easily.

"Maybe the guest house has hot water," Jon said, standing up to his full height to try and block Sansa from Bran. She could see easily over his shoulder and was mouthing threats to her brother. Jon took Sansa into his arms, grumbling at her cold, wet hair as Theon entered the kitchen rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

"That's against the rules. You're not dating under this roof, remember," he said warily, snatching Bran's half-drunk coffee from his hand.

"That stupid rule only applies when Dad's in the house," Sansa muttered.

"Not what it looks like," Jon said at the same time.

Theon snorted. "Sans, you're stood in only a towel in Jon's arms in the bloody kitchen. You're dripping."

"Sodding brothers," she grumbled. "If there is no hot water in the guest house I am going to murder all of you."

"Lovely," Theon said, unbothered. "Have a good time."

Bran was scrolling through his phone, impervious to his sister's threats. "Whatever. Hurry up cause Marg will be here in half an hour."

Lady trotted after Sansa as she screamed and left for the outhouse, leaving the boys to finish their breakfast.

* * *

"Here she comes, our little trouble maker," Alysane Mormont cried, making their friends laugh as Sansa finally joined them in the dining hall. She had been stuck behind a gaggle of first formers in the queue. "How was a days detention?"

Sansa grinned mischievously as she set her tray down between Alysane and Margaery. "It was hell. I was practically a slave for Mr Mormont but I guess it was better than Jon and Theon's day."

"They had the wrath of Eddard Stark to contend with I'm assuming," Margaery said, playing along, knowing first hand from her involvement in their group chat that the boys had lazed about whilst Ned had finished some paperwork, met a client and then had taken them to the golfing range for the rest of the day.

Sansa shook her head as she took a bite of her pasta, her eyes wide and dramatic. "Oh no. It was Catelyn Stark Tully's wrath they were up against." Alys Karstark shuddered and the table laughed. "What did I miss?" Sansa asked.

"Harrold Hardyng set off a smoke bomb in fourth-period chemistry yesterday," Alys told her, sipping on her water with a cool smile.

"Oh my god," Sansa laughed, picturing the chaos easily.

"Yeah, Mr Seaworth nearly throttled him," Margaery giggled as she recalled the shocked and then pissed off expression their beloved chemistry had had before he all put dragged Hardyng out of the labs by his blazer. "Loras is still in the infirmary but he should be released after school today."

"Good," Sansa grinned. "Its been too quiet without his nagging."

"Oh and some juicy news, according to Wynafryd Frey who heard it from Obella Sand that Trystane Martell was told by Podrick Payne that Tyrion Lannister accidentally told Brienne about Jaime's plans to propose," Gilly said in a happy rush. "But I told Wynafryd that it was nonsense."

"We were with them last night and she is none the wiser," Sansa confirmed. "And anyway, Podrick Payne wouldn't ruin Brienne's happiness, she's the best boss he's ever had. He'd most likely wrestle Tyrion if that had been the case."

"God, I wish I worked for Brienne. My life would be set," Jeyne sighed wistfully. "That lucky bastard."

"You're forgetting something else Gilly," Alys prompted with a coy smile and Gilly's cheeks darkened. The group turned to her eagerly. Gilly was shy and quiet and had been Margaery's science parter the previous year which is how she had become entangled in their group. She had lived further North and moved in with her distant aunt after falling pregnant when she had been fifteen. The baby, a little boy named Sam, was now eighteen months old and she had taken to motherhood like a duck to water. Her friends were always on hand to help her balance her school and home life.

"Samwell Tarly asked me if I would like to go to the engagement party tomorrow," she squeaked in excitement and the table all made noises of happiness, ignoring the looks and stares they were receiving. Sansa caught Jon and Sam Tarly looking over at them from their table across the packed hall. Sam's cheeks were pink and Jon was grinning.

"That's amazing!"

"Finally," Margaery cried, hugging Gilly close as best she could with the table between them. "What are you going to do about Sam? Well, little Sam, I guess," she corrected herself with a giggle.

"My aunt said she could have him for the night," Gilly said slowly. "She's had him all week whilst I've been at school though."

"Bring him to the party," Sansa suggested, knowing that the baby would hardly touch the floor with how many people were going to be there. Catelyn would account for most of the cuddles.

"I couldn't. I don't want to impose Sansa."

"Nonsense. Bring little Sam and we can all look after him. Your aunt deserves a break and I want to see Ned Stark holding a baby," Margaery grinned wickedly. The man had numerous children but she couldn't imagine him holding a baby. "Besides, you could always stick him on Robb or Theon. You know they wouldn't kill him accidentally."

Sansa smirked. "What are you implying about Jon?"

Margaery grin became dangerous. "I've seen the dress you're going to wear Sansa. The man will not have a brain cell left."

"Are you implying that Jon Snow has brain cells anyway?" Alys joked as Sansa rolled her eyes and bit back her grin.

"Are you sure Sansa?" Gilly asked quietly. She wasn't ashamed of her son but she knew that others looked at her differently because she was such a young mother.

"Absolutely. Just arrive a little earlier. Why doesn't Loras take you to your aunts straight after school so you can change, grab little Sam and then he can drive you both over an hour or two before the guests start arriving," she suggested and Margaery nodded, already looking at a map on her phone and planning the route for her brother.

* * *

Catelyn watched in quiet amusement through the large windows that faced the expansive gardens as Ned tried in vain to coax Nymeria and Summer out from the pool.

He had a battered old tennis ball in one hand, waving it in front of his face and whistling at the pair as they happily swam lengths around the pool. He had a long, swaying net was in the other hand.

"Come on you unruly mutts. You are worse than your masters!" Ned growled, throwing the tennis ball away, sending Shaggydog sprinting across the lawns to reach it before Ghost could. The two swimming dogs ignored him.

"I didn't mean that," Ned apologised gently as he crouched on the lip of the pool as best he could with the long, dripping net still in his hand. "They'll all be home from school soon. Please get out," he pleaded softly.

Catelyn snorted into her teacup after hearing her husband begging their children's dogs.

"What's so funny?" Arya said in way of a greeting, dropping her hockey kit bag at the door of the laundry room with a clatter.

Cat turned on her heels and accepted a kiss on her cheek from her youngest daughter. "The dogs have been jumping and swimming in the pool for most of the afternoon and your father is attempting to get them out so he can clean it before the party tomorrow."

Arya snorted, making an almost identical sound to her mother. "As if he'll get Nym out."

"Where's the rest of the motley crew?" Catelyn asked, swapping her teacup for Arya's hand. She rubbed her fingers over Arya's scarred knuckles and calloused palms, soothing away the tension.

She shrugged. "Sansa stayed with Marg and Loras to attend some sort of study session. Theon drove me home."

As if he had been listening, Theon strolled into the kitchen with an uncharacteristically shy grin.

"What's wrong?" Catelyn asked, raising one eyebrow quizzically. "Did you break something?"

Theon scoffed. "No." His grin faltered for only a second. "I was just- just wondering about, uh, you know what-"

"What's up, Theon?" Arya asked him and he shook his head, his curls flying around his face for a moment. He had been about to turn and flee the kitchen but the question made him face the two women.

"What's the deal with plus ones to the party tomorrow. I know it's technically for Brienne and Jaime but can I invite someone?" Theon said in a rush.

His question was met with identical smirks thinly veiled as encouraging smiles. He fought to control the shiver that seemed to pass over him whenever a Stark woman looked at him as though they could read his mind. It happened more often than not and he thought he'd never get used to it.

"Of course you can sweetheart," Catelyn told him. "Who is it and I'll put their name on the list so that they can get down the drive at least."

Both women watched in amusement as he swallowed nervously.

"Uh, I'm asking Dacey Mormont if she wants to come." The confession was so quiet it was almost a whisper.

Arya scoffed as Catelyn simply raised one eyebrow.

"Dacey Mormont? Have you finally made up then?" the matriarch asked with a coy grin.

Theon loved to annoy Dacey Mormont more than anything else in the world. He had pulled her pigtails as children and had set out to make sure that her high school career was tinged by him, whether as her boyfriend or not. It wasn't that this attention wasn't replicated, it was, in the exact same way and as bad as Theon could give out, Dacey doubled it.

Catelyn could have sworn that the pair were currently in the 'off' stage of their on-and-off relationship but keeping track of them was hard and took too much energy. They flipped between it like a coin spinning on its axis.

Theon pursed his lips. "Not exactly..." he said slowly and Arya laughed once more. "Shut it shrimp," he hissed.

"Come on. Do it now!" Arya demanded. "Call her and ask her now. I need to see this."

"No."

"Do it or I will."

"Arya!" Theon growled.

Arya fished her phone out of her pocket and began scrolling, muttering under her breath as she advanced closer to Dacey's number in her contacts list. "Mormont, Alysane," she began. "Oh, here she is."

Theon snatched her phone out of her hand just as Arya placed the call on speakerphone. He jumped back from his sister's advancing hands, ignoring the ring of the dial tone. She was trying to snatch the phone out of his hands and Theon paled at the thought of Arya somehow asking Dacey for him.

"Fine. God you heathen," he cried, pushing her away with a hand smushed into her face, his eyebrows drawing together when he heard someone say 'hello'. He looked at the phone in his hand and realised that the call had connected and worse, Dacey had picked up.

He quickly put the phone to his ear and shoved Arya away. "Uh, hi, Dacey."

"Theon? Where's Arya? Is everything alright?" the two women could hear her concerned voice through the speaker as Arya had the volume turned all the way up.

He cleared his throat and gave Arya the darkest stare he could muster but she just waved him on, encouraging him to answer the girl.

"Uh, yeah, no, she's fine. I was just wondering if you wanted to come to the party tomorrow night."

"I already am, Theon," came her reply through a chuckle.

Catelyn nodded encouragingly and Theon looked as though he wanted to die. "No, I meant, did you want to go with me?"

The silence dragged on and deafened Theon.

"Dacey?" Theon asked, looking at the two Starks with large, concerned eyes. "Are you still there?"

"Yeah."

"Huh?"

"I'll go with you. Pick me up after school," was all she said before she disconnected the call and the dial tone filled the kitchen.

"Well done Theon!" Arya all but screeched as she launched herself at him. "You've got a date. Theon's got a date, Mum!"

He grimaced and tried to unwind her arms from around his neck. "Uh, get off of me you cretin!"

"Theon and Dacey sitting in a tree-" Arya laughed, shouting directly into Theon's ear as Catelyn turned to watch Ned fall into the pool with a loud, comical shout. As soon as he hit the water, the two dogs clambered up the shallow steps and out of the pool.

"Mum!" Rickon called from somewhere in the house. "Dad fell in the pool!"

Ned's cry was hard to hear over Arya and Theon's bickering but Catelyn's own laughter was the loudest sound in the room.

* * *

Catelyn stood in the foyer in her oldest pyjamas with her washing up gloved hands on her hips. In a fidgeting line before her, the rest of those who lived at Winterfell, as well as Gendry and Margaery were waiting for instructions.

"Bran," Catelyn began, internally grinning when her son groaned loudly and out of character. "You will be vacuuming. Every single room, every single floor and the guest house too," she told him and Bran's mouth dropped open.

"Mum, thats going to take all night," he tried to argue but a sharp look made him pout and turn on his heels, dragging the vacuum cleaner out of the closet without a word.

Theon and Robb were both giggling at their brother's expense and Catelyn turned on the pair next.

"Theon, I need you to mow the grass and sweep the leaves off the driveway. After you've done that you need to put cones out leading to the paddock where people will park their cars."

Robb elbowed him and she turned her attention to him.

"Robb, there are several boxes of outdoor lights in the garage. I need you to put them on the gate, the trees along the driveway and around the paddock fence so that the guests will be able to see their way," she told him and Theon returned the ribbing as the pair turned towards the garage to begin.

"Jon, you're on laundry duty. All of the bedding in the house and the guest house needs to be washed, ironed and then put back. There are some spare bedding and mattresses in the guesthouse that need to be set up as well. A lot of people are staying over."

"Arya, you're washing the dogs. All six of them," Catelyn directed at her youngest daughter who's jaw dropped open.

"That's going to take forever!"

Catelyn nodded. "Better start now then," she said and Arya slinked off with a frown towards the mudroom where there was a sink big enough to wash the wolf-like dogs.

Gendry's smirk at his best friend's chore was the next thing to go. "Gendry, I need you to set up the outdoor lights and the patio heaters near the pool. The grill also needs scrubbing down and then more wood needs to be collected from the garage."

"Margaery, you're on dusting and polishing duty inside. All surfaces need to be spotless."

"Yes ma'am," the blonde said, saluting.

"And me?" Sansa asked as the last two turned without argument to begin their chores.

"Making the canapes and the cocktails. You and your dad need to go to the store and buy the alcohol and the ingredients so you better go now before it closes," Catelyn decided on the spot. Sansa grinned and grabbed Ned by the crook of his elbow, leading him out of the front door with Ned's keys already in her hand.

"And what about me mummy? There doesn't seem to be anything left so shall I just go play lego?" Rickon asked with a toothy smile, exaggerating to try and worm his way out of helping. Catelyn grinned and cupped his cheek gently.

"Nice try mister. I need someone to put out the party decorations and make a banner. Think you can paint me one without causing a massive mess in the playroom?"

Rickon nodded and grinned. "Yes!" he cried out. "The best job!"

Catelyn rolled her eyes as Rickon ran up the stairs for his paints. "If you need help spelling..." she called out by he was already clambering up the second set of stairs to the higher floor.

Cat nodded to herself and began to straighten and righten all of the items in the foyer. She decided she would spend the evening picking things up and putting them back in their rightful places whilst checking on her family with the dogs that hadn't been trapped in the mudroom with Arya the first go around.

"Come on Lady, let's see how the boys are doing outside," she said to the white dog after tidying the foyer and the main hallway and putting everything back to rights. The coat rack wasn't overflowing anymore and the shoes had all been placed into the cupboard with their matching pairs.

Shaggydog was already outside in the darkening evening with Theon, chasing the boy and the lawnmower. Theon had his headphones in and was making good progress of the task so she turned her attention to Robb.

The boy has dragged the majority of the large storage boxes full of lights out onto the driveway and Catelyn could already see that the gate and the first couple of trees had already been wrapped. It was Winterfell's usual Christmas decor and since it was only Septemeber, Catelyn decided that they would just stay up until the season.

Sansa and Ned drove through the gate and parked in Ned's usual spot, greeting her in a flurry of conversation.

"Howland Reed told us to drop by and pick these up," Sansa explained, opening the boot to pull out several glass punchbowls and a few large industrial bags of his highly prised dirt for their vegetable patch.

Catelyn clapped in happiness. "Finally! Ned if you could pop the mud in the garage, I'll help bring in the shopping."

The three eventually brought in several boxes of wine and clinking bags of bottles into the kitchen and upon the island. The food for the canapes was already being unpacked by Margaery who had sped through her task with quick efficiency and was looking for something else to do.

"I'll make the bruschetta," she decided, already searching online for the best recipe.

Sansa nodded. "Good idea. Dad, can you chop all of these vegetables and put them into separate bowls. We'll walk you through how to make spring rolls whilst I do the cocktails."

Ned nodded along, easily adapting to the change of direction. He went into the pantry and pulled free the apron he used when cooking that was embroidered with his name. He wasn't the most skilled but he was an excellent sous chef. Clapping his hands together, he grinned as the girls turned on the radio and an easy tune played throughout the kitchen. "Okay, what's first?" he asked, patting a wet Greywind's head as the dog past him and then frowning, immediately regretting the action.

The two girls shared a look before turning back to him. "Wash your hands," they replied at the same time.

"Dough or filling first?" he seemed to ask himself. "Filling."

As Ned began clattering around the kitchen cupboards, pulling out bowls and utensils as he gathered the ingredients, a phone rang.

Sansa fished hers out of her back pocket but the screen was dark. "Not mine," she told the other two, both of whom checked their own phones.

"Its the landline," Catelyn said, wiping her hands on her jeans. "Who is using the landline in this day and age?"

The ringing stopped and when Catelyn entered the foyer, she saw Bran already answering the rarely used phone. It was an older model and still attached to the receiver on the wall by a curly cord which Bran was wrapping around his finger. They never used it.

"Hello?" Bran's usually impassive face twisted into a broad grin. "Oh yeah?" he asked, leaning against the wall with one shoulder. "Who said that?"

"Who is it?" Ned called out, elbow-deep in flour.

"Not sure," Catelyn replied. "Bran's talking to them."

Bran tucked the phone into his chest, covering the mouthpiece. "It's Tyrion. He said they're about thirty minutes away, just on the outskirts of Wintertown."

"Who are ' _they_ '?" Cat asked quickly. She wasn't expecting anyone.

"Tyrion, Daenerys Targaryen, Jorah Mormont and Podrick Payne. Said that Jorah got the date wrong, booked the wrong train and they're coming into Wintertown tonight for the party."

Cat rolled her eyes. "And why is he calling the house phone? He has a mobile and so do all of us."

Bran relayed the question and then snorted into his hand. "He lost it in Riverrun during their lunchtime stopover. Apparently, the party had already started for them before they left the station in King's Landing this morning."

Margaery's nose wrinkled in thought. "And he could remember the phone number for the landline? Off the top of his head?"

Ned chuckled. "The man is talented in ways not many will understand."

"How weird, getting day-drunk with your boss and her assistants," Sansa laughed.

Margaery shrugged. "If I worked for Dany Targaryen and her multi-million-pound family I would actively encourage her to get day-drunk."

Jon came wondering in through to the kitchen, having finished his chores and looking for food. "Anything to eat now or what?" he asked.

"Oh, Jon, perfect. I need you to drive down to the station and pick up Tyrion and some of his friends. They've got the date wrong and are on the way here tonight," Catelyn intercepted the young man easily, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and steering him away from the fridge.

"Huh?" he just said, blinking at the onslaught of information.

"I could drive, mum," Bran suggested, already holding Jon's car keys.

"Good idea. Jon: supervise him. Bran: the train station," Cat said, pushing the pair towards the foyer and the front door.

Sansa had finished making all of the large batches of cocktails and was moving the bowls she'd used into the pantry, past Arya who was still washing the last dog, and through to the colder garage. She snorted as she laughed loudly. "Mum, Tyrion's 'friends' happen to be one of the richest heirs in the country and her PA."

Catelyn rolled her eyes at Sansa's shout. "And yet she is a lovely young woman focused on charity work. I am sure that she will survive Jon's driving and staying in our guest house for one extra night."

Thirty minutes later, all of the dogs had been scrubbed within an inch of their life by Arya and the food and drinks had either been finished or were well on their way to be done as Jon's car pulled up in its usual spot. He slunk off to help Robb finish with the lights and Bran seemed to vanish into thin air as soon as the engine cut out, leaving Ned to be the only member of the welcoming party on the doorstep.

From the back seats and the boot, the already merry guests were spilling out and the smell of alcohol was apparent. They were all dressed in sharp suits and in Dany's case, a floor-length blue gown.

"Neddard!" Tyrion shouted happily as Ned approached them warily. "It has been too long."

Ned grinned widely, accepting Joer Mormont's waiting hand and saying his 'hellos'. "Certainly. I see you're all ready to party on through the night."

"It's for love, young Neddy," Tyrion almost sang.

Dany groaned at her companions' actions, fingers rubbing her temple as she slid out of the backseat. "Thank you for letting us stay and I can only apologise about the hassle," she said softly and Ned nodded along until Podrick scoffed into his hand. "We got the date mixed up but the drinks... I didn't realise we'd had so many."

"All Tyrion's fault," Podrick said. "They picked me up in Riverrun and I told them they'd got the date wrong but Tyrion insisted it was right and we needed drinks to celebrate. Jamie's not even proposed yet," the man laughed but his speech was slurred and he was just as drunk as his friends.

Dany made a high pitched noise which Ned mistook for pain for a moment until he realised she was grinning widely. "A wedding! Imagine it!" she sighed wistfully.

"She has to say 'yes' first," Tyrion said dryly.

"And I'm sure she will. Come on, you're all in one of the guesthouses around the back," Ned explained. "I'll help carry some of the bags and you can change into something more comfortable."

The quartet shared a dumbstruck look.

"Fuck! The bags!"


	5. Friday

**Friday**

The collection of people around the dining table sat in a semi-awkward silence as Ned pottered around finishing the last of the food.

"Could you pass me the teapot, please," Dany said quietly, a pair of large designer sunglasses on her face and one of Sansa's jumpers on.

Bran snickered as he fulfilled her request, sliding the pot along.

The Starks were all dressed, ready for either school or work and were bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, or as much as they could be at seven am on a Friday morning. Their guests were a different story.

Tyrion hadn't made it to the early morning breakfast and Jeor Mormont was sleeping with his eyes half-closed and a cup of coffee cooling in his hand at the table. Podrick was wearing a pair of Robb's old sweats and a t-shirt, munching away as though he hadn't eaten in days, much to Arya's amusement.

"What time do your classes start?" Dany asked politely. She was well used to high-society mingling and making small talks was one of her specialities.

"Reg is at 9," Robb said through a mouthful of porridge which made the heiress' nose wrinkle.

Sansa looked up from her phone. "Is there anything left to do?"

"No, sweetheart. I was hoping the final few touches could be done by our guests," Catelyn said, fingers propped under her chin. "If that isn't too much hassle for them, of course."

Dany's cheeks reddened and she kicked Jeor's shins under the table, making the man jump and slosh his coffee over his hand.

"Huh," he blinked, resettling in his seat. "Sorry, say that again."

Dany rolled her eyes. "It won't be a problem, Mrs Stark. What do we need to do?"

"Rickon's banner needs to be hung in the conservatory. Thats where the main party will be gathering. We're going to open up the french doors, light the patio heaters and the grill and then people can mingle between the house and the garden," Cat told them.

"My banner is in the playroom," piped up Rickon.

Bran grinned slyly. "There's a whole carton of glitter on it so it'll be a mess to move."

"Good job we have a cordless vacuum then isn't it," Sansa replied, chuckling as both Podrick and Jeor groaned into their mugs.

Theon came skidding into the kitchen, a physics textbook gripped loosely in one hand. "Come on losers. We're leaving."

"We've got half an hour Theon!"

The boy held up one finger as he picked up a slice of toast from Jon's plate and tried to eat it in just three bites. "I made a deal with Mr Cassel. I start early and he lets me finish early in time for the party so we need to go. Now."

Theon was met with groans from his siblings.

"All of you need to leave school as soon as the final bell goes, do not linger around. Get back here as soon as possible," Catelyn told them.

Dany's eyebrows met in confusion. "I thought most of you could drive."

Sansa sighed, pouting as she finished her final few sips of tea, pointedly ignoring the way Arya seemed to be trying to inhale the rest of her breakfast. "Taking one car this morning. The boys have already parked in the garage so we're all going with Theon."

Ned set down a plate of sausages and everyone reached for one before Jeor could, leaving him without. "Well, you heard him, kiddos. Off you go."

"And yourself, Ned. You're going to miss your meeting at this rate," Catelyn murmured, flicking through one of Bran's science magazines that he'd left at the table. "We'll start on the decor once Tyrion wakes up."

None of the Stark children had been there to witness five large dogs jumping on Tyrion's bed in person but the video Catelyn has sent to their group chat had captured it well.

* * *

"Sansa!" Loras shouted, weaving through the crowd that was blocking the corridor in the languages block. He slipped past Clegane who was berating the Tyrell for running in the hallway.

Sansa smiled and ran to meet him, throwing herself into his arms. "You're not going to infect me are you?" she asked, her nose already buried into his collarbone.

Loras pushed her away, grinning. "No. It was a little fever that the Septa thought might kill me but it was gone on Thursday morning, she just likes to torture people."

Sansa grinned linked their arms together. "Walk with me to my locker. I've got to drop off my homework and then see if Bran still needs to see Mr Aemon before we leave," she babbled, talking mainly to herself that to Loras as they headed out of the building. "What are you wearing tonight?

Loras tipped his head back and laughed deeply at how suddenly Sansa changed the conversation. "This old velvet blazer that Renly likes," he replied and Sansa elbowed her friend in the ribs.

"Do we finally get to meet this Baratheon then?"

Loras rolled his eyes as the pair came to a stop in front of Sansa's locker. "You already know him."

"But not as your boyfriend," Sansa countered. "I've only met him like once before anyway," she continued.

Loras groaned and tipped his head back, his adam's apple bobbing sharply. "We're not technically dating, you know, him being closeted from his brothers and all that, so make sure Ned knows that before he sticks his foot into it. He's out but not out-out, do you understand."

Sansa held up her hands in mock surrender. "Yes sir, loud and clear. Don't let Dad talk to him."

Sansa's phone began to ring and she pushed her bag and ring bind folders into Loras' arms, ignoring his protest as she answered the call.

"Yep?" she said expectantly.

All Sansa could hear was heavy breathing and it sounded as though the phone was being rubbed against something.

"Jon?" she tried again, double-checking the caller ID. She pouted, thinking maybe it was a pocket-dial when Jon's voice thundered through the speaker.

"Sans!"

"Yeah? Are you okay?"

Jon was panting. "No. We're skipping the last class."

Sansa's eyebrow rose as she held the phone slightly away from her ear and tilted her body, letting Loras slip his head beside hers so that he could listen along. "Who's _we_?"

"All of us. You. Me. Robb. All of us. Need to meet you in the far car park in ten minutes but don't let anyone see you," he huffed.

"Have you been running? What's going on?" Sansa said, biting her lip to try and stifle her laughter. She was picturing Jon being chased by someone as he tried to talk to her and the thought was comical.

There was a commotion on the other end of the line and Loras shrugged in confusion, still not sure what was happening.

"Sansa?" Robb's voice suddenly appeared. "We've made sure that we can't go to last period chemistry but we need to leave, like right now. _Off-campus_ ," he emphasised.

"I'm so confused. What is going on?" Sansa asked as Clegane went charging by, briskly walking with a furious look on his face. "What have you done?" she accused as Loras' phone began to ring.

"It's Marg," he whispered, answering the call and listening as his sister rattled off whatever the boys were trying to tell Sansa at a more concise speed. "Oh my god! _Someone_ paid Harold Hardyng to set off ten times as many stink bombs in the science block than he did the other day and Theon released the live specimens just to make sure they'd have to shut it down," he relayed the information whilst Sansa listened to Robb and Jon argue on her phone.

"Oh my god," was all she said, paling. "We need to go. Right now."

It wasn't uncommon for a sixth former to pull some sort of prank to shut down a lesson every term or so, but like usual, the Starks didn't do things half-heartedly and Sansa could already imagine the trouble they would be in come Monday morning.

"What? Why?" Loras asked, still laughing.

Sansa still had her phone to her ear and used her other hand to slam her locker shut and grab Loras' hand, dragging him forcefully through the school in the direction of the car park that Theon favoured close to the sixth-form house and near the science building. "Because Theon is taking everyone home as 'early as possible' on Mum's orders and it sounds like they've already been caught out," she told him, picking up the pace and beginning to drag her friend.

"Oh shit!" Robb said on the phone. "Clegane!"

Sansa began to sprint, her long red hair hitting Loras in the face as he reluctantly ran with her, his arms still full with her bag and his sister still telling him something on the phone.

As they ran to the carpark, the bells rang out, signalling the final period was due to being in two minutes and normally, the pair would be heading to the library for their free period. Instead, they were hightailing it across the school's expansive grounds towards Theon's car where Bran and Rickon were already waiting, both sat on the bonnet laughing about something.

She briefly wondered who had signed Rickon out from his class but a booming voice shouting "Stark!" made her hesitate and Loras slammed into her from behind, sending the pair sprawling across the grass, thankfully still a few feet short of the gravel carpark.

Sansa puffed out a breath, blowing her hair out of her eyes so that she could see Mr Seaworth shouting from near the science block which was slowly emptying of students and faculty, all covering their mouths as the smell of the stinkbombs carried on the wind.

Coach Bronn was stood in the doorway of the sixth form house, his arms crossed as he half-heartedly shouted at Theon, Jon and Robb, all of whom were sprinting towards the carpark past the house with Clegane on their heels.

"Open the bloody car!" Robb shouted and Theon slowed to a jog as he fished his keys out of his pocket.

"Where's Arya?" Loras asked Sansa, helping her gather up all her belongings.

Sansa shrugged as they made their way to the car which was flashing and now open. "Dunno. Just get in."

Loras began to argue but he was crushed between Rickon and Bran, both of whom dived into the backseat and dragged the Tyrell with them. Sansa opened the boot and threw her bag in, anxious energy bubbling in her stomach as she watched Jon and Robb run past Bronn and join her at the car, both huffing and red in the face.

"Don't ask," Jon said, clambering into the car and taking up the final space in the back as Rickon was sat on Loras, letting Robb get the front seat.

"Arya's going to stop Clegane," Bran's muffled shout came from the noisy car. Robb had the radio blasting already and Rickon was chatting loudly to Jon.

Sansa scanned over the crowd outside the science block, most of whom had their phones out, revelling in the cancellation of their final lesson. On the steps of the music block, Gendry was looking out at something and Sansa tried to follow his eye line, wondering where her sister was if Gendry was outside. She snorted to herself as Theon spun on his feet, dodging Clegane's arm and running in a separate direction, away from the car. Bronn had reluctantly joined the chase and the two teachers were running after the boy, one more of a light jog than the other, as Arya snuck into the nearby music block.

Sansa watched her sister appear next to Gendry and then disappear through the doors and then she waited, watching as Gendry made sure the coast was clear. The high pitched whine of the fire alarm rang out throughout the campus and hoards of students began to flow out of every building, heading towards their meeting point and sending everything into a further state of chaos.

Clegane's curse rivalled the alarm in volume and he gave up chasing Theon, choosing to direct the giddy students instead. Bronn stopped and waved the boy away, unbothered.

"Theon!" Dacey Mormont cried from her circle of friends, getting the boy's attention as he jogged back towards the car, a cocky smirk on his face. "What the hell?"

"Be ready for seven!" was all he said in reply as he came barrelling into Sansa and the car. "Where's Arya?"

"We've got to get Marg from the front of the school. She's waiting," Robb told Theon as he got behind the wheel, leaving Sansa still outside near the open boot for Arya as she came strolling towards them, joking about something with Gendry as they passed by Bronn without incident.

"Typical," was all Theon said as he turned on the engine and glared out of the windshield at Arya and Gendry walking slowly.

"In your own time!" Jon cried through his open window but all Arya did in response was flip him the bird.

"Can I get out now that there isn't a rush?" Loras said, leaning forward between the two front seats. "I have my own car and I'm playing taximan for Gilly."

Robb and Theon twisted in their seats, both seeming surprised Loras was even in the car.

"Yeah man," Robb said, pushing Rickon gently off of Loras, allowing him to climb over Bran and out of the car. "Wrong Tyrell."

Gendry waved and then made his way to his own truck, promising to be early to the party as Arya finally made it to Sansa's side. Cat had made it clear that he had to change and get ready at his own house, rather than derail Arya.

"Do you want the boot or the backseat?" Sansa asked as Arya threw her textbooks and folders in with Sansa's. Whilst it was heavily frowned upon since there was so many travelling in one car, Arya had travelled to school that morning in the surprisingly spacious boot whilst Sansa had been squished in the backseat with Rickon on her lap and Bran sat uncomfortably squished between herself and Robb.

"Boot, defiantly. The boys stink of the bombs," she said with a wrinkled nose and Sansa's shoulders sagged. She'd hadn't thought about that.

"Enough room for two?" she asked and the two sisters clambered into the boot, facing each other with their legs tangled and Loras closed the boot for them, tapping on the back window to signal to Theon that he could put the car into drive.

"Marg is either on your lap or in the back," Theon said as he reversed out of his parking space and went flying across the car park, spitting gravel up behind him.

"Bagsy sitting on her lap," Rickon cried out, making Robb groan.

"You little leech," he hissed, reaching behind him to poke at his younger brother.

All Rickon did was grin a toothy smile as Theon rolled the car to a stop, just in front of Margaery who was stood in front of the school's main building, a smirk on her face and several banknotes in her hand.

Robb opened the front passenger door and Margaery slipped in, settling herself on his lap for the short journey to Winterfell, despite Rickon's protests.

"Why do you look like that?" Theon asked, shifting gears warily.

"Like what?" she asked innocently.

"Like the cat who got the canary or whatever the saying is," Theon quipped.

Margaery made an elaborate show of unbuttoning several of her shirt buttons near her neck and slotting the banknotes into her bra. "I'm glad you enjoyed my chemistry work boys. So generous," she practically purred as Robb's jaw dropped open.

"I'm so lost," Jon muttered, pulling out his phone and diverting his attention.

The three boys had heard about Harold Hardyng's prank earlier in the week and had cornered him after the first period. Robb had asked him about the stink bombs he'd used and if he could get the three boys a handful more by the end of lunch. Hardyng had agreed but had priced the bombs at five pounds each. The trio had reluctantly handed over several notes and arranged to meet him down at the astroturf's outdoor changing hut to collect the bombs.

"You sold Hardyng the bombs and we bought them off of him?" Robb asked, looking at his girlfriend in disbelief.

Margaery shrugged innocently as Theon sped down the school's drive. "Did you really think Harold Hardyng has enough chemistry knowledge to make stink bombs? He's hardly passing that class," she laughed. "Tell you what, if you all behave tonight, maybe I'll give you some of the money back?"

"We aren't going to ruin the party," Rickon promised and he was rewarded with Margaery's bright laughter.

"Nice try mister. You are certainly not getting any of the money. I got handed a two-page essay to write because you made me late on Monday," she grinned. "Anyway, the same can't be said for your brothers."

* * *

Ned watched from the window over the kitchen sink as Theon's car pulled up the driveway and into the last space in front of the garage. He looked on, amused as his children spilt out of the car, more than he thought could fit.

Catelyn was already stood in the front porch, the dogs at her heels as she directed the brood towards their rooms to get ready for the party and Ned just smiled as he watched Jon try to sneak around the side of the garage but Cat caught him and sent him inside with the rest of them.

"Its nice up here," Tyrion remarked from the island. He'd been watching Catelyn easily boss her guests around as they finished up the final preparations for the party all day and since Ned had arrived home at midday, he'd watched the couple interact.

Ned seemed to brighten and Catelyn seemed to soften when they were together and it fascinated the man who'd only seen relationships fizzle out or become volatile, like his sister's and her ex-husband. If Brienne said yes, Tyrion thought it might be the first and only happy marriage a Lannister may have had in a few generations.

"Country air is good for a family. The city's got too many people," Ned replied, turning away from the window. "You ever thought about leaving King's Landing?"

Tyrion clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes. "The countryside's got too much space, not enough people."

"Tyrion, can you help me," Dany came wandering through the conservatory towards the two men. She was already dressed in her blue gown but her fair hair was still loose and she had Sansa's borrowed jumper on over the top.

Tyrion nodded and excused himself, allowing Catelyn to slip into his seat. "You need to go and change," she said softly but Ned wasn't listening.

Catelyn was dressed in a simple black slip dress but the way she had twisted her hair up and applied a simple layer of makeup made the ensemble seem elegant and timeless. The pearl necklace Ned had given her for their anniversary sat proudly around her neck.

Catelyn grinned and lent forward, pressing a kiss to her husband's cheek. "Go. The first guests should be arriving in the next forty minutes and you smell like the dogs."

Ned chuckled. "It's an acquired scent."

"Well, I do not want our guests to have to acquire it," Catelyn quipped, her lips pulled back into a grin.

"If my lady commands it of me, then it is done," Ned bowed dramatically, spotting a half-dressed Rickon wandering down the stairs in his smart shirt and underwear. "And my little prince," Ned half sang, sweeping through the foyer to scoop his youngest child up. "No, no no! This will not do!"

Rickon giggled at the fancy accent his father was adopting. "I don't know where my trousers are," he said, eyeing the food laid out for the guests on the kitchen island.

Ned set him back on his feet and turned him around so that he was climbing the stairs. "Well our quest must begin right away, Sir Rickon," Ned said jollily. "We must save your trousers before the guests arrive!"

" _Ned_ ," Catelyn said evenly, her eyes conveying more than her unmistakable tone.

"And then this grand old king will get dressed to escort his queen," he said in his wife's direction.

" _Ew_ , dad!" Rickon complained, scampering away from his father who quickly chased after him.

* * *

Sansa could hear the music and the guests mingling as she put a final coat of lipstick on. She sat in front of her vanity mirror, puckering and pressing her lips together as she looked over her appearance, making sure her hair wasn't frizzy but laying sleek.

A soft knock at her door made her swivel and jump, ruining her work.

"Its just me," Margaery said, already popping her head around the door. "And Robb."

Sansa waved her in, turning back to her reflection and smoothing her hair back down.

"Sans, you look gorgeous," Margaery squealed, squeezing her friend's shoulder as she sat down on Sansa's bed, Robb following behind her slowly. Sansa noticed with a grin that his socks didn't match.

"Forget me, you two look amazing." Margaery had a red silk dress on which was both revealing as it had no back but modest as the hem ended below her knees, showing off her tanned calves and strappy black heels. Robb also looked dashing in a pair of black slacks and a white shirt not fully buttoned. The pair looked at one another, smirking.

"Can't wait to watch Theon make a fool of himself tonight," Robb deflected, ignoring the compliment, but his sister could tell he was embarrassed as he tucked a loose curl around his ear, only for it to spring back into place over his forehead.

Sansa scoffed at the thought. "I bet he'll propose or something equally as stupid after a few drinks."

Margaery's eyes went wide with excitement. "I hope so! God, I hope she says yes!"

"Dacey or Brienne?"

" _Both_!"

Robb rubbed the back of his neck and Sansa took pity on him. "Let's focus on this wedding before planning another one."

Margaery grinned, holding a hand out for Robb to take which he did without thought. "Don't get your knickers in a twist. It's just like being broody when seeing Little Sam. I want one, but not yet."

Robb's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Little Sam's coming tonight? I saw Gilly downstairs with your brother but she didn't have him with her."

"They've arrived already?" Sansa said. She lent over her vanity and pulled her phone out from under one of the eyeshadow pallets she'd discarded over the surface, checking the time and her notifications. "We should go down."

Robb looked out of Sansa's door, across the hall to Arya's closed one. "Just waiting for Arya to be ready and then Mum wants us to go down together. She's got about ten minutes and then Jaime's scheduled to text whether she said 'yes' or 'no'."

The trio continued to mull around for a moment or two, nitpicking each others hair or outfit until Bran came thundering down the stairs, making a racket as he hammered his fist on Arya's door.

"What the-" Sansa began, startled at the sound. She got up from her chair and lent on her doorframe.

"ARYA!" Bran said, still hammering away.

Ned stood at the bottom of the stairs, politely directing some of the party guests who had decided to gather in the foyer deeper into the house and away from the scene. "What's going on?" he asked over his shoulder before directing Mr Aemon back towards the kitchen with a strained smile.

Robb, Sansa, Margaery and Rickon were now stood on the first-floor foyer, watching as Bran continued to shout for his sister and Ned stood at the top of the stairs, waiting for some sort of explanation.

"What you lunatic!" she hissed, opening the door and narrowly avoiding being hit in the face by Bran's still knocking fist.

"Gendry," was all Bran said and Arya's brows knotted together. She was tugging uncomfortably at the one-shouldered neckline of her jumpsuit.

"Shut up, Bran."

"Mum!" Bran began to shout, turning on the spot and making his way to the top of the stairs. He took three steps before being tackled to the ground by Arya, no longer caring about her outfit.

"For god's sake," Ned huffed, slowly climbing the final few steps to intervene when Gendry came out of Arya's room, dressed smarter than anyone had ever seen him too, and he easily picked the young girl up by the waist, hauling her off of her brother.

He set her on her feet behind him, making sure she stayed put before turning to face Ned with a sombre loon upon his face. "Ned, Mr Stark," he began, rolling his shoulders. "I have accidentally broken some of the tiles on your roof and I will pay for a replacement and fix them myself."

"No fun," Bran hissed, sitting up and trying in vain to flatten his hair down after Arya's mild assault.

"What is going on?" Robb whispered to his girlfriend. Margaery shrugged, just as clueless for once.

"Gendry put his foot through the garage roof sneaking in," Bran happily informed his siblings which made Ned sigh heavily.

The patriarch ran a hand slowly down his face, pulling his eyebrows taught and releasing a heavy sigh. "Not tonight. Tell me tomorrow, just, not tonight."

"Yes sir," Gendry said obediently, pulling Arya gently by her wrist to the stairs and escaping into the party below.

"Where's Jon?" Sansa asked as Ned took Rickon and Bran downstairs to be introduced to people.

"Downstairs with Gilly and Sam, I think. Come on, we're late now," Robb said, leading the two girls down the stairs and through the entrance and into the guests.

Sansa smiled at those she recognised who were friends with Jaime and Brienne. It was odd to see Coach Bronn drinking a cocktail in her kitchen with her uncle Edumure but the sight of Sandor Clegane behind the grill, expertly flipping burgers and sausages with an easy grin made her blink in astonishment.

"Sansa!" someone said happily from her side. "Marg!"

"Jeyne!" they replied just as eagerly. Jeyne Poole had gone to Northern college for a few years but had transferred to an all-girls college in the South. The girls chatted whilst Robb went to find Jon in the crowd for Sansa.

"How are you!"

"Good," Jeyne grinned, a champagne flute in her hand. "I'm actually here with someone."

"Really?" Margaery asked, looking around. "Who?"

Jeyne bit her lip. "Yara Greyjoy."

Sansa's mouth dropped open. "Theon's half-sister? She's like ten years older than us."

"I know," Jeyne replied, blushing. "She coaches sailing down at Banefort sometimes and we just got chatting. We've got loads in common actually. I'll introduce you. Yara!"

A tall woman with brown curly hair appeared out of the sea of guests, two drinks in her hands. She grinned when she heard Jeyne shout over to her.

"Hi," she said when she was close enough not to have to raise her voice over the noise of the music and the socialising. "I'm Yara," she said, raising her glass in greeting.

"Sansa."

"Margaery."

"Nice to meet you both," she said genuinely. "I know Theon thinks of you both as sisters so-" she trailed off, shrugging and handing one of the flutes to Jeyne. "Glad he's found his people in life."

"We're glad we found him," Sansa replied, realising that despite the number of times she wanted to kill him and how often the events occurred, she did love Theon. "Have you had a chance to meet anyone else?"

Yara shook her head. "Too busy keeping this pretty lady's attention, I'm afraid."

Sansa, Margaery and Yara all laughed as Jeyne turned red and batted her girlfriend on the shoulder with some force.

"Come with me, we can find my boyfriend and then introduce you to so more people," Margaery said in a tone that left the two women with little option to argue. "Go find Jon, Sans."

Sansa didn't argue, she just smiled and slipped in the dancing crowd, easily spotting Gilly and Sam out on the patio. As she passed the punch bowl, she poured herself a glass, scanning the crowd for Jon or her brothers.

"I'm so glad you made it!" she said as soon as she joined Gilly.

The other girl jumped and spun around, grinning broadly. "Oh my god! I'm so glad I came!"

"Where's Little Sam?" Sansa asked, looking around once more.

Sam chuckled and pointed across the garden to the other patio in front of the guest house. There, on one of the outdoor sofas was Loras, Renly Baratheon and Jon. All three were covering and uncovering their faces, trying to make the toddler on Loras' lap laugh.

Sansa rolled her eyes fondly as Jon went to cover his face, forgetting he had a beer bottle in his hand and all he did was successfully poke himself in the eye which made the baby squeal in delight.

"That is probably not a good thing to be laughing at," Gilly said, looking at her son with utter adoration, not seeing that Sam was looking at her in the same way.

Sansa squeezed her friend's hand and excused herself quietly. She wandered past the barbeque, scooping up two plates of burgers and made her way to Jon's side.

"Hi," she said quietly, catching his attention. She set the burgers down on the table in front of them as Loras ask Renly to meet Catelyn, taking him and the baby away without another word.

"You look beautiful," Jon murmured, kissing the corner of her mouth. They never usually displayed any affection in public, knowing that some thought they were too close, Jon having grown up in the same household, practically adopted by the Starks.

"I thought we could have something to eat before the party really begins," she grinned, handing him a plate which he gratefully accepted.

"Thank you," he said and the pair began to eat, chatting about mindless things until their plates were empty and someone was calling for attention back in the house.

Catelyn was stood on one of the breakfast bar stools, Ned's arm around her hips to steady her as she gently hit a knife on her champagne flute.

"If I could please ask everyone to hide and for someone to switch off the overhead lights, the happy couple are just making their way up the drive as we speak," she called out with a broad smile.

In a flurry of activity, someone had the overhead lights off, leaving the house in the soft glow of lamps and fairy lights whilst someone else ushered a handful of party guests into the snug and into the conservatory.

Sansa linked Jon's fingers through hers and carefully tugged him towards their family near the front door. The Starks stood beside Tyrion and Podrick, both of whom seemed to be crying as they waited for the door to open.

They could hear Brienne chattering happily and when Jaime opened the door, the whole party cried out 'congratulations' and she shrieked in fright.

"Oh my god!" Brienne cried. She had been crying and the delicate ring on her left finger made Podrick burst out, rushing forward to envelop the couple in his arms.

"I'm so happy!" he cried out and the guests laughed as the couple was passed around from person to person.

The smile on Jaime's face was ear to ear and he hugged his brother and then Ned and Catelyn, whispering his thanks into their ears as Brienne tugged Sansa and the rest of the Stark children into her arms, squeezing them tightly.

"Did you all know?" she asked breathlessly.

Robb grinned, patting her on the arm as Margaery hugged him close. "May have had a little hint."

Theon rolled his eyes with Dacey under his arm as he accepted a one-armed hug from the bride-to-be. "As if we could cobble together the party of the year without notice."

"I did not know until this morning," Rickon told her sheepishly, tugging her down to his height so he could hug her neck. "But I did know we were having a party."

Brienne laughed and looked around at all the people who cared about her and Jaime. She thanked the Starks and blinked away her happy tears. "I love you all so much."

Catelyn settled a hand on her arm, rubbing it soothingly. "And we love the pair of you. Come on, lets get some drinks and some food and celebrate properly!"

The music was turned back on, drinks were poured, speeches were made and Sandor returned to the grill to finish feeding the guests.

Rickon, in all his excitement and the chaos of people congratulating the couple, had managed to sneak off with Shireen as people were saying goodbye and going to their cars. The pair were on the side of the pool, counting down as Sansa, Robb, Margaery, Theon, Arya, Gendry, Bran and Jon escaped, ensuring they didn't have to say goodbye or wave any more people off. They had slipped out as Howland Reed filled up the sink to begin washing dishes and others began to help clean up. Bran had watched Meera get roped into collecting dirty glasses and had quickly made his exit.

Now though they watched on as the two children jumped in the pool in their fancy clothes, splashing and whooping in the shallow end without a care in the world.

Sansa looked at her siblings and her friends, smiling so wide her cheeks ached. "The last one in is a rotten egg!" she cried before running and launching herself into the pool.

Jon followed suit, ripping off his blazer and diving in, causing a massive splash as he swam towards Sansa and scooped her up in his arms. The pair were giggling maniacally.

Theon pushed Dacey in and then tugged Bran in too, ignoring his half-hearted protests. Bran splashed at his brother and then swam determinedly towards the shallow end, hoping to persuade Rickon and Shireen to join him in soaking Theon and Dacey.

Arya and Gendry jumped in, both tucking their knees up to create a large splash and laughing as they surfaced.

Robb smiled and turned his head to his girlfriend. He held out a hand and Margaery slipped hers into it, lacing their fingers together.

"Would you care to join me for a late-night swim?" Robb asked as he tugged off his expensive leather shoes. He, at least, had the forethought to remove the items of clothing that would give his mother a heart attack if she was him in the pool in them.

Margaery mimicked his actions, stepping out of her heels and setting her clutch bag down on one of the sun loungers. "I would be honoured."

Robb pressed a kiss to her lips and then they were running, laughing and screaming as they jumped into the deep end together.

Ned followed the noise, wondering where his unruly children had gotten to now that most of the guests were in the kitchen, cleaning or saying goodbye to one another.

He grinned, looking out as his children splashed around in the pool. The dogs were sat on the sides, watching over their masters and mistresses obediently.

"Ned," Cat asked, setting a hand on the crook of his elbow. "Oh my god!" she exclaimed, realising who was in the pool.

"Remember when we used to sneak away from parties to go have fun like that?" he asked fondly, wrapping her up into his side.

"When?" Cat echoed, smiling mischievously. "We still do." Ned watched as she walked calmly to the deep on, pulling off her shoes and her pearl necklace, setting them by Margaery's things as her children looked on in shock and admiration.

"Come on mum!"

"Dad! Come join us!"

"It's really nice!"

"Ned," Cat called over, holding out her hand. Ned emptied his pockets and loosen his tie before grasping his wife's hand and jumping in with her.

Brienne relaxed against Jamie's side, her arm around his neck as he leant against one of the French doors, just watching the family. The party was winding down and most of the guests had either said goodnight and departed or were helping to clean up before heading to the guest house.

"Do you think we will ever have a family like that?" Jamie asked, nodding to the laughing teens and the way Ned had hoisted Arya onto his shoulder.

Brienne grinned and poked him in the side. "We already do and they're waving us over. Come on, fiancé, I want to go swimming."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, i decided to split this one shot into five chapters and then i got impatient and decided to upload them all now rather than wait so.... ENJOY, a little domestic stark fic   
> xo


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